Total population investigation of dental hospitalizations in Indigenous children under five years in Western Australia using linked data

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to compare dental hospital admissions in a total state birth population of Indigenous and non-Indigenous children aged under five years in Western Australia. Methods: Midwives' notification data were linked to databases of deaths, admissions, birth defects and intellectual disability. Births during 1980-1995 were followed until five years of age (n = 383 665). Dental admissions were classified by ICD-9 principal diagnosis categories. Results: There were 738 dental admissions for 665 children aged up to five years of Indigenous mothers (n = 20 921). Indigenous children comprised 6.3% of all children having a dental admission in this age group; 3.2% of chi..