Geographic effects on dental caries prevalence and tooth loss in Australia.
Geographic effects on caries prevalence have been noted in studies in the United States, Australia and South Africa. Australia, because of its large land mass, is a useful standpoint from which to gauge such effects, particularly since countrywide data from the School Dental Service is processed centrally, and since the Australian Bureau of Statistics has recently conducted a nationwide survey of adult dental health status. Both studies reveal a distinct impact of geographical factors on dental morbidity. DMF scores in 12-yr-old children are higher in the southern states, and rates of edentulousness in 35-44-yr-olds in Tasmania (latitude 40(0)-45(0)S) are double those for the more northerly states.
D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000453:epidemiology*