Objectives: Oral health behaviours are important determinants of oral health outcomes and are influenced by both individual- and area-level factors. This study examined the associations of geographic remoteness and area-level socioeconomic deprivation with oral health behaviours among Australian adolescents aged 12–13 years.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analysed data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC; Wave 7, 2015), including 3,381 adolescents aged 12–13 years. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to examine associations between area-level deprivation and remoteness with five oral health behaviours: dental attendance, toothbrushing frequency, fruit juice consumption, fast-food consumption, and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption.

Results: Adolescents living in the most socioeconomically deprived areas had significantly higher odds of adverse oral health behaviours and reduced dental attendance compared with those in the least deprived areas. They were more likely to not visit a dentist within the previous year (OR=1.56, 95% CI: 1.24–1.96), brush their teeth less than twice daily (OR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.14–1.78), and consume fruit juice (OR=1.30, 95% CI: 1.06–1.61), fast food (OR=1.63, 95% CI: 1.31–2.04), and SSBs (OR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.28–1.98) on the previous day. Adolescents from outer regional and remote areas had higher odds of not attending a dental visit within the past year (OR=1.23, 95% CI: 0.96–1.57) and lower odds of fast-food consumption (OR=0.91, 95% CI: 0.71–1.18), with minimal differences observed for toothbrushing, fruit juice, and SSB consumption.

Conclusion: Area-level socioeconomic deprivation demonstrated stronger and more consistent associations with adolescent oral health behaviours than geographic remoteness. Findings highlight the need for targeted public health strategies addressing socioeconomic inequalities to improve oral health behaviours and access to dental care among Australian adolescents.