Taipei City Promotes Student Oral Health: Untreated Cavities Rate Declines Over Past Five Academic Years

(Central News Agency reporter Yang Shu-min, Taipei, January 17) The Taipei City Department of Budget announced today that, to encourage students to value oral health, health education campaigns have been continuously implemented. According to statistics from the Department of Education, the rate of untreated dental caries among first-grade and seventh-grade (junior high first year) students in the 2023–24 academic year has decreased compared to the 2022–23 academic year, while the rate among tenth-grade students has increased. However, over the past five academic years, the overall trend has been downward.

The Department of Budget stated that to improve students’ awareness of oral health, the city government has continuously promoted proper tooth brushing and oral health knowledge, contributing to a reduction in tooth decay. Comparing data from the Department of Education, the rate of untreated dental caries among students has generally shown a declining trend in recent years.

According to the Department, in the 2023–24 academic year, the untreated caries rates for first-grade, seventh-grade, and tenth-grade students in Taipei City were 16.6%, 5.8%, and 8.6%, respectively—decreasing by 2.6 and 2.3 percentage points for first and seventh grades compared to the previous year, while increasing by 1 percentage point for tenth grade.

Moreover, over the past five academic years, the rate of untreated caries has generally declined. Comparing the 2023–24 academic year with the 2019–20 academic year, the rates for first, seventh, and tenth graders decreased by 7.4, 4.7, and 7.3 percentage points, respectively.

Additionally, gender-based analysis by the Department revealed that in the 2023–24 academic year, the untreated caries rate was higher among female students than male students across all three grades—by 0.6, 1.4, and 0.9 percentage points, respectively.

Furthermore, comparing same-gender rates between the 2023–24 and 2022–23 academic years, the Department noted that both male and female students in first and seventh grades showed reductions, with first-grade boys experiencing the largest decline at 3.2 percentage points. However, male and female tenth-grade students saw increases of 0.8 and 1.3 percentage points, respectively.

Nevertheless, when examining the long-term trend over the past five academic years, no consistent gender-based pattern emerged for first and tenth graders. Only in seventh grade did female students consistently show higher untreated caries rates than males. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150617