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Background: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental anomalies within an Australian paediatric population using panoramic radiographs., Methods: This was a prospective review of 1050 panoramic radiographs obtained as part of a school dental screening program in suburban and rural New South Wales, Australia., Results: Fifty-four (5.14%) patients had a dental anomaly present. Agenesis was noted to have occurred 69 times across 45 patients (4.28%), along with seven cases of impaction (0.6%) and three cases of supernumerary teeth (0.28%)., Conclusions: Dental anomalies rarely occur in the Australian population, which possesses a wide-ranging multiethnic cohort. Despite their rarity, they can be incidentally discovered so identification and management by dental practitioners are important., (© 2016 Australian Dental Association.)

Background: This analysis provides an insight into bed demand for adults for oral health related conditions in Western Australia., Methods: Data were obtained from the Western Australian Hospital Morbidity Data System for the four financial years 1999-2000 to 2002-2003. This retrospective study analysed the principal diagnosis (ICD-10AM) obtained for all 53 646 adult patients diagnosed with an oral health related condition. Primary place of residency, gender and Indigenous status were analysed., Results: More males (52.6 per cent) were hospitalized than females and Indigenous patients were hospitalized 1.5 times more than non-Indigenous patients. "Caries" were most common in non-Indigenous patients, with "jaw fractures" most prevalent in Indigenous patients. The majority of patients were hospitalized in a private metropolitan hospital (57.2 per cent). Total costs of hospitalization, both public and private, were in excess of dollar 85 million over four years with dollar 44 million in the public sector., Conclusions: This study indicates the burden of oral health related conditions on the Western Australian population and the hospital system in terms of health and economical impact.

Background: This study investigated in-patient oral health care provision for children under 18 years of age in Western Australia., Methods: Hospitalizations of children for oral health conditions over a four-year period were analysed using data obtained from the Western Australian Hospital Morbidity Data System (HMDS). This study followed a previously published study examining similar data for 1995., Results: Between 1999-2000 and 2002-2003, a total of 26 497 episodes of care were attributed to oral health conditions among children aged 0-17 years. The cost of this care exceeded $40 million. Embedded and impacted teeth accounted for 33.2 per cent of oral health episodes, dental caries 28.3 per cent, pulp and periapical tissue conditions 7.1 per cent and dentofacial anomalies 6.1 per cent. With the exception of the infant age group (0-1 years), non-Aboriginal children had higher admission rates than Aboriginal children. In the 13-17 year age group a non-Aboriginal child was 31 times more likely to be admitted to hospital for an oral condition than an Aboriginal child., Conclusions: This study confirms the impact of oral health related conditions among children in Western Australia. It is also clear that there are differences between age and population groups in terms of access to in-patient dental services and exposure to risk factors for specific oral conditions.

Over the past 20 years, the prevalence of dental disease in Western Australian children has diminished. The causes of this significant improvement in health are associated with better care models, water fluoridation and changes in lifestyle. In this study, the authors examine the reasons for hospitalization for oral health conditions in Western Australia for the calendar year 1995 using the Health Department of WA database. A total of 3,754 episodes of care (4,395 bed days) was recorded for dental conditions. Dental caries resulted in the fifth and sixth highest number of episodes of hospitalization in preschool (1-4 years) and primary-school age (5-12 years) children respectively. Abnormal tooth eruption resulted in the highest number of episodes of hospitalization in high-school age (13-17 years) children. From the age-stratified rates of hospitalization (per 1000), non-Aboriginal children were more than twice as likely to enter hospital for dental related conditions. The primary cause of this is the 15 times higher rate of hospitalization for high-school age non-Aboriginal children which clearly reflects the greater use of services for impacted third molars by the metropolitan non-Aboriginal community. Examination of the distribution by health service region revealed the hospitalization rate was significantly less than the state average for the Kimberley, Pilbara, Northern Goldfields and Wanneroo regions. These data reflect the paucity of oral health care available to residents of these regions, particularly the northwest, and does not reflect a diminished burden of disease. Similarly, the rate of hospitalization for Aboriginal children reflects population and service delivery differences particularly in regional and remote WA. These data highlight the need to develop new strategies in oral health care to target 'at risk' groups in the community, particularly new parents of young children. The preventive measures associated with good oral health in children are clearly aligned with those for good general health and can be integrated into existing health messages.

Panoramic radiographs from 1026 patients were examined for the presence of completely impacted teeth. The prevalence of completely impacted teeth in the edentulous jaw was lower than that in the dentate jaw in both the upper and lower jaws. The prevalence of completely impacted third molars in the edentulous jaw was also lower than that in the dentate jaw. However, there was no difference in the prevalence of completely impacted canine teeth and completely impacted anterior maxillary supernumerary teeth (mesiodens) in the edentulous jaw. These findings may indicate that completely impacted canine teeth and impacted anterior maxillary supernumerary teeth (mesiodens) are not influenced by the loss of erupted teeth.

Panoramic radiographs of 1834 patients older than 21 years were evaluated for the prevalence of impacted teeth at different ages. The frequency of impacted teeth by age was constant, that is, the presence of completely impacted teeth could not be related to age. The interrelationship between the angulation of impacted teeth and the existence of adjacent teeth was studied in individuals older than 61 years. The angulation of most of the completely impacted teeth in the upper-third molar region was horizontal when adjacent teeth were not present, whereas impacted teeth in the upper-third molar region showed vertical angulation when adjacent teeth were present, suggesting that vertically impacted teeth may become exposed by bone resorption or infection and should be removed. The angulation of impacted lower third molars was horizontal irrespective of the presence of adjacent teeth. It appears that the interrelationship between the angulation of completely impacted teeth and the presence of adjacent teeth is different between the upper and lower third molar regions. The angulation of completely impacted teeth and the presence of adjacent teeth should be included in those criteria which determine whether or not completely impacted teeth should be removed.