A Northern Territory surgeon says Darwin has the highest rate of broken jaws in the world and that can be attributed mostly to alcohol-related violence.

Royal Darwin Hospital surgeon Mahiban Thomas says he was given a "rude shock" when he arrived in Darwin five years ago.

Dr Thomas says the hospital sees about 350 cases of broken jaws and noses every year.

"(This) puts us at about 17 per 10,000 population, which is well above anywhere else in the world," he said.

He says he is very busy and also worried because most of the breaks are caused by drunken assaults.

"Only 12 per cent of the trauma patients have not been a victim of an alcohol-related assault," he said.

Dr Thomas says most assaults occur outside pubs and nightclubs on Thursday and Friday nights.