322 Australian Dental Journal 2007;52:4. Oral health of Indigenous adult public dental patients in

Background: Indigenous Australians have been reported in a range of studies to have worse health than non-Indigenous Australians. Among health care card holders, a financially disadvantaged group eligible for public-funded dental care, oral health may also be worse among Indigenous persons. The aims of this study were to examine the oral health of Indigenous compared to non-Indigenous adult public dental patients in terms of caries experience and periodontal status, controlling for age and gender of patient, type of care and geographic location. Methods: Patients were sampled randomly by state/territory dental services in 2001–2002. Dentist