About half of all young children have holes in their teeth, the latest snapshot of the nation's dental health shows.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found 40 per cent of children aged between four and five and 60 per cent of six- to eight-year-olds had cavities in their temporary, or baby, teeth, in 2006.
More than half of all 15-year-olds had cavities in their permanent teeth compared with just 1 per cent of five-year-olds.
The report said untreated decay was the most common reason why children aged five to eight had holes in their teeth, while nine-year-olds had the most number of fillings.
It also painted an unflattering picture of the inside of adults' mouths.
Nearly a third of 25- to 44-year-olds had untreated tooth decay, the main cause of tooth loss, compared with a quarter of people aged over 65. Men were more likely not to treat their rotting teeth compared with women, 28 per cent to 23 per cent.
By 2010, one-fifth of adults over 65 had none of their natural teeth left, with nearly half wearing dentures.
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