Preventable Dental Hospitalisation of Victorian Children from 2005-06 to 2009-10

Objectives: To analyse changes in preventable dental hospitalisation of Victorian children from 2005-06 to 2009-10. Methods: Data on potentially preventable dental hospitalisation (Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions – ACSC) for the years 2005-06 to 2009-10 were obtained from the Victorian Admitted Episode Dataset (VAED). The VAED includes all admissions to Victorian hospitals. Conditions considered not preventable were excluded such as the extraction of impacted teeth. Rates were generated using ABS estimated resident population counts. Approval was obtained from the Victorian Department of Health to analyse the data. Results: Among 0-19 year old Victorians there were 6,407 dental ACSC admissions in 2009-10 of a total of 23,182 ACSC admissions. Dental ACSC were the highest cause of all ACSC for this age group for the 5 years. Dental ACSC rates for 0-19 year olds remained relatively constant (4.73 in 2005-06 and 4.68 in 2009-10 per 1,000 persons). There were statistically significant decreases in the rates for 0-4 year olds (7.01 in 2005-06 to 4.71 in 2009-10 per 1,000 persons), and statistically significant increases in rates for 5-9 year olds (8.18 in 2005-06 to 9.37 in 2009-10 per 1,000 persons). Rates for 10-19 year olds increased but from a lower base than the younger age groups. Rural rates were on average two times Metropolitan Melbourne rates with a decrease in the rate ratio among 0-4 year olds over the five years. Conclusion: Dental ACSC admissions for Victorian 0-19 year olds were the highest cause of all ACSC admissions each year from 2005-06 to 2009-10. While the rate of dental ACSC admissions remained constant for this age group over the 5 year period, rates significantly decreased among 0-4 year olds, particularly in rural areas. Rates increased significantly among 5-9 year olds but not to the same extent as the decrease among 0-4 year olds.