Dental health of Indigenous children in the Northern Territory: progress of the Closing the Gap Child Oral Health Program

This Bulletin presents information on the oral health status of Indigenous children who received dental services under the Northern Territory Closing the Gap Child Oral Health Program. Between August 2007 and December 2011 more than 8,000 children were provided with over 14,000 dental services through the program. About 56% of children who received a dental service were treated for at least one oral health problem. The most commonly treated problem was dental caries (52%). Of the children who received a dental service over a 6 month period between 1 January and 30 June 2011, 82% had a dental caries experience with an average of 4.5 caries per child. Analysis of a sample of children who received more than one dental service showed that about 60% of children who received treatment for dental caries at their first dental service did not require treatment for the same condition at their most recent dental service, highlighting an improvement in their oral health status.