Caries experience of adults attending private and public dental clinics in Australia

Objectives: In Australia, the majority of dental patients attend the private sector, while those with means tested eligibility for government assistance may attend the public sector. The aims of this study were to compare dental caries among persons who last visited private and public clinics, controlling for age, sex, reason for visit, and income. Methods: Data were collected in 2004-06, using a three-stage, stratified clustered sample of Australians aged 15+ years, involving a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI), oral examination, and mailed questionnaire. Results: A total of 14,123 adults responded to the CATI (49 percent response) of whom 5,505 (44 percent of those interviewed) had an oral epidemiological examination. Multivariate regression analysis controlling for age, sex, reason for visit, and income showed (P < 0.05) that persons attending public clinics had higher levels of decayed (beta = 0.33) and missing teeth (beta = 0.83), but lower levels of filled teeth (beta = -1.09) compared with the reference category of private clinics. Conclusions: Persons who attend for dental care in the public sector have worse oral health than adults who visit private dental clinics, in addition to an independent effect of socioeconomic disadvantage.