The Impact Of Declining Tooth Loss On Oral Health Status And Dental Care Utilisation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$144,375.00
Summary
Improved oral health has been well documented in Australia. Over recent decades the average number of decayed teeth among children has decreased. Among adults, the percentage with no natural teeth has also exhibited a decrease over time. While increased retention of natural teeth is an indicator of improved oral health status within the population, there may be some unexpected consequences of this success. Improved oral health has been associated with increased rather then decreased use of servi ....Improved oral health has been well documented in Australia. Over recent decades the average number of decayed teeth among children has decreased. Among adults, the percentage with no natural teeth has also exhibited a decrease over time. While increased retention of natural teeth is an indicator of improved oral health status within the population, there may be some unexpected consequences of this success. Improved oral health has been associated with increased rather then decreased use of services. Improvements in oral health manifested in the form of greater tooth retention, coupled with demographic trends towards growth in the population, may lead to an increased risk of oral disease with flow on effects on need and demand for care. Findings from one cross-sectional study in the USA have shown that people who retained higher numbers of teeth had more periodontal disease and dental caries experience, and reported a past pattern of visiting the dentist more frequently. The specific aims of this project are to examine the association of the number of natural teeth among middle-aged Australians with their oral health status, treatment needs and subsequent use of dental services. The outcome of this project will provide answers to two research questions. Firstly, it will see whether the retention of more teeth among adults is associated with higher levels of oral disease. Secondly, by following people over time it will be able to detect whether those who are retaining more teeth into adult age ranges have higher levels of use of dental services than their counterparts with fewer teeth. The answers to both of these research questions has significance for policy and planning in the area of dental public health by providing evidence as to the size and direction of expected future demand for and use of dental services in Australia.Read moreRead less
Determinants Of Inequality In Child Oral Health At School Age–A Prospective Cohort Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,229,853.00
Summary
This study aims to examine effects of socioeconomic circumstances as determinants of child oral health conditions, which can be mediated by dietary patterns, use of fluoride and dental service.
Impact Of Health Policy On The Delivery Of Dental Services And Child Oral Health Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,304,799.00
Summary
This project will study the use of dental services by children and adolescents in Australia and how use relates to oral health outcomes. Variation in the support for the use of private dentists and the organisation and delivery of school dental services will be compared both within and across all states and territories so as to inform policy discussions on how to best improve child oral health.
Dental Health Services Research For Improved Oral Health Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,641,484.00
Summary
This research will generate new knowledge to improve health outcomes by investigating expenditure and financing of dental care, dental practice performance, and the impact of dental services on oral health outcomes. This is needed for health policy to deliver dental care that promotes good oral health, to identify characteristics of the dental delivery system that deliver productive outputs with good outcomes, and testing oral health outcomes in relation to the type of dental care received.
Strengthening Oral Health Workforce Governance: A Qualitative-quantitative Investigation Of Workforce Integration Approaches In England And Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$423,768.00
Summary
Health workforce governance provides stewardship to the future of health systems. This fellowship study seeks a novel solution to oral health workforce governance and brings the transformative potential to improve coordination and reduce negative impacts of a fragmented oral health care system. A two-way parallel design is planned in England and Australia, best utilising the available methodological expertise and proposing an innovative interdisciplinary approach.
Natural History And Longterm Impact Of Dental Fluorosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$345,184.00
Summary
Dental fluorosis is an important aspect of oral health because: perception and concerns about fluorosis influence perspective and success of fluoride programs; and advices on fluoride use are based on a risk-benefit tradeoff. This study is expected to report changes in fluorosis, its longterm impact and evaluate fluorosis and caries trade-off. This will be the first study of the natural history of fluorosis. Findings will have significance for individuals, dental profession and health policy.
A Controlled Multi-faceted Community Intervention Trial To Improve The Oral Health Of Preschool Aged Child In Rural VIC
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,000.00
Summary
Pre-school aged children living in rural Victoria have worse dental health than that of their metropolitan counterparts. This is due in part to the lack of exposure to water fluoridation, difficulty accessing dental services and other sociodemographic issues. Whilst most pre-school aged children do not routinely get taken to a dentist, they do come into contact with local community nursing and medical staff. The aim of this project is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of improving or ....Pre-school aged children living in rural Victoria have worse dental health than that of their metropolitan counterparts. This is due in part to the lack of exposure to water fluoridation, difficulty accessing dental services and other sociodemographic issues. Whilst most pre-school aged children do not routinely get taken to a dentist, they do come into contact with local community nursing and medical staff. The aim of this project is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of improving oral health for these preschool aged children by developing oral health promotion skills in the existing local medical, nursing and dental practitioners, augmented by referral pathways that improve accessibility to dental services.Read moreRead less
The Impact Of Insurance On Use Of Dental Services And Oral Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$203,616.00
Summary
Dental problems are very common in the Australian population, and health expenditure on dental services is large. This project addresses the impact of dental insurance on use of dental services and oral health outcomes to investigate the effect of insurance on dental visit patterns and mix of dental services provided, and examine how the cost of dental care is related to outcomes such as tooth loss and quality of life.
Pulsed Laser Ablation Of Smear Layers In Root Canals
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$32,628.00
Summary
The project is in the general field of clinical dentistry, and in the speciality area of endodontics (root canal treatment). It examines the ability of several novel laser systems to remove bacteria and soft tissue debris from the root canals of teeth, building on recent developments in optical fiber technology and in antimicrobial therapy.