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National oral health study needs participants

The 2017-18 National Study of Oral Health aims to determine the prevalence of oral disease in Australia's adult population and how this is addressed by existing dental care. (Photograph: Africa Studio/Shutterstock)

Thu. 20. July 2017

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ADELAIDE, Australia: A nationwide study is currently seeking people in New South Wales and Victoria to participate in dental interviews and free dental examinations. The 2017–18 National Study of Adult Oral Health, the first of its kind in over a decade, aims to assess 15,000 Australians to determine the prevalence of oral disease in the adult population and how this is addressed by the existing types and sources of dental care.

Being conducted by the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH) at the University of Adelaide, the study has already commenced in South Australia and has run smoothly thus far. “We’ve been incredibly happy with the support of the community in South Australia, with a high participation rate and more than 1500 people interviewed for the study so far. We expect to see that number spike when participants from New South Wales and Victoria take part in the study over the coming weeks and months,” said chief investigator Dr Marco Peres, Director of ARCPOH and Professor of Population Oral Health at the University of Adelaide.

“We expect that people in New South Wales and Victoria—in both metropolitan and rural areas—will make a major contribution to the findings of our study.”

Peres outlined that the study findings will be used to help guide policy-makers and service providers in delivering equitable dental services across the breadth of Australia.

“It’s critical that we understand the changes in dental health among adult Australians, and the quality, prevalence and accessibility of services they receive,” he said.

“The results of our study will directly impact on the dental care people receive in the community, which will also affect quality of life.”

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