This report presents information on oral health outreach services provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people aged under 16 in the Northern Territory. There were some improvements over time in the proportion of First Nations children in the Northern Territory Remote Aboriginal Investment Oral Health Program (NTRAI OHP) with tooth decay.

The NTRAI OHP complements the Northern Territory Government Child Oral Health Program by providing preventive (application of full-mouth fluoride varnish and fissure sealants) and clinical (tooth extractions, diagnostics, restorations and examinations) services. This report presents data from July 2012 to December 2023.

Structure of the report

• Chapter 1 presents the oral health and Australian Government oral health programs in the Northern Territory.
• Chapter 2 provides information about oral health outreach services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the Northern Territory.
• Chapter 3 presents oral health status of children in the program.
• Chapter 4 provides evaluations on whether the program met its benchmarks.

Key findings

• In 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 restrictions may have affected the number of services delivered under the NTRAI OHP. However, the service delivery targets for all service types were met or exceeded.
• In 2023, the health outcome target for prioritisation of preventive services was exceeded.
• Children aged 7 to 10 in the NTRAI OHP had the highest proportions of tooth decay experience in 2023, between 84% to 88%.
• In 2023, most children in the NTRAI OHP received services in very remote areas (56%) and in remote areas (29%).