While most aspects of the federal government’s intervention plan have attracted controversy, Indigenous families have embraced its inclusion of dental treatment.

Have Your Say: Have health checks implemented under the NT Intervention made a difference to the lives of children there?

Doctors say Aboriginal children living in remote communities are at very high risk of decay and oral disease due to poor diet and oral hygiene.

Catch Living Black video journalist Yalda Hakim as she follows two families who must travel four hours across the desert for a dental check-up in Alice Springs.

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KG: Hello and welcome to Living Black. I'm Karla Grant. 200 Indigenous children have undergone oral health checks as part of the Federal Government's intervention plan. In Central Australia, some of the 40 children identified as the worst cases have begun treatment. It comes as the 'Medical Journal of Australia' released a new report warning that the intervention will fail unless adequate follow-up health care is provided. Video journalist Yalda Hakim brings us this story.

Reporter: This is no ordinary day for 6-year-old Corven Wilson. After weeks of anticipation, he's packing his bags to catch a bus from Yuendumu to Alice Springs Hospital, where it's hoped he'll finally get his teeth fixed. Corven's diet has been based on soft drinks and junk foods - a recipe for decay. And he isn't alone. Doctors say Aboriginal children living in remote communities are at very high risk of decay and oral disease. Poor diet and hygiene are to blame. Dental treatment rolled out under the Federal Government's intervention is one area of the controversial plan that Indigenous families are embracing. Without the intervention, Corven would still be waiting for much-needed treatment.

Theresa Wilson-Dixon, corven's aunt: I hope for the children that growing up here in Yuendumu they will do something about this in the future, about dental, like what they need if something does go wrong like this.

Reporter: Just after daybreak, Corven Wilson and his aunt arrive at the Yuendumu clinic to meet the six other families who will also be heading to Alice Springs. But just two families have arrived. With no telephones, it's up to the local nurses to try and find them. The bus does a loop of the community, without luck. Almost four hours later, the families arrive at the Alice Springs clinic for a check-up by a surgeon from Sydney's Westmead Hospital. Locals say many families are reluctant to follow through with the appointment because they're either scared or think it's unnecessary.

Angus Cameron, Surgeon: We want to get all of these children free of disease prior to when they get their permanent teeth, which is really six years of age onwards. So the first permanent molar comes through at six and you have to look after that tooth for the rest of your life. And if you've got a mouth full of other teeth with holes, that's not going to set you up in a very good situation.

Reporter: As one of the 40 most severe dental cases, Corven's prognosis is hardly surprising. Doctors will have to remove 5 of his 12 top teeth and replace them with implants. Remote communities like Yuendumu provide basic health services, but they're rarely used by locals. Poor health education takes much of the blame. Now a new report in the 'Medical Journal of Australia' is warning that the intervention will have little effect on the health of Aboriginal people because adequate follow-up care isn't being provided. The journal says many children with complex health problems can't be properly treated without ongoing care. Dr Cameron says the communities need basic education on how to utilise medical services to their advantage.

Angus Cameron: There are several stages in the intervention - the first stage is the assessment, the second stage, which we're involved in at the moment, is the actual management of the acute cases, and the third stage is trying to leave something that's sustainable, but that means good oral hygiene, access to clean water, fluoride toothpaste and toothbrushes and things like that that within a town or a city we take for granted but many of these children won't have access to those simple things.

Reporter: Parents and guardians who have brought their children in for surgery say they were initially concerned about the different phases of the intervention, but now they say they understand that these medical checks are vital for the future of their children.

Vicki Taylor, Alice Springs Hospital: When the kids come out and the other children see that everything seems to be OK and there's not much pain and they're a little bit happy, and that within themselves will settle the children down as well. We do have some incredibly terrific staff up there, though, who do know how to assure young children and they've been wonderful with the kids.

Reporter: Experts warn the link between oral and general health is too close to ignore.

Angus Cameron: There's no doubt that dental disease can affect general health and there's a lot of research done at the moment about the relationship with dental decay and also gum disease, periodontal disease, with cardiac disease.

Reporter: The operation has given Corven Wilson a fresh start. His mother is promising doctors her son's diet will improve. More dental checks in the Territory are expected to take place throughout the year.

KG: That story was filmed and reported by Yalda Hakim. And if you'd like to have your say on this issue, log onto our website. This week we're asking, do you think the health checks undertaken as part of the NT intervention have made a difference to the lives of Aboriginal children in the Territory? Still to come on Living Black - lifting the lid on child abuse in the APY Lands.