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Tooth Decay
The bacteria sticking to your teeth in plaque break down sugars and other carbohydrates that we eat, and produce acids. These acids dissolve the enamel and dentine that make up the tooth structure, and create a hole in the tooth. This process is called dental caries or tooth decay.
Once a hole has developed in the tooth surface you will need to have the decay removed from the tooth and a filling placed to seal the surface and build up the shape of the tooth again. Tooth decay may occur in the enamel cap, around and under fillings and in the softer root dentine exposed as gums recede.
Common causes
- Frequent intake of sugary drinks, including fruit juices and fizzy drinks
- Snacking on foods high in sugar
- Poor or lack of tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste
- Lack of cleaning between teeth
- Dry mouth
Warning sings
- Tooth covered in food and debris
- Holes in teeth
- Broken teeth
- Brown or discoloured teeth
- Tooth sensitivity to hot or cold foods
- Difficulty eating or chewing
- Toothache
- Bad breath
- Swelling the the face and jaw area
How to prevent
- Brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste
- Once daily flossing or interdental cleaning
- Reduction of sugary foods and drinks, especially in between meals - and replacing with healthy alternatives such as water than a fizzy drink
- Regular professional check-ups to spot and treat tooth decay, to stop further damage to your teeth
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Tooth Whitening
Tooth whitening is a process that lightens stains in the tooth enamel (outer layer) and dentine (inner layer) of your teeth, to give your tooth a whiter colour. With improvements in dental health, people are increasingly seeking tooth-whitening treatments to improve their appearance.
The benefits of tooth whitening is the confidence of a bright white smile!
Are all teeth suitable for whitening?
There are many causes of tooth discoloration, and any given tooth can exhibit one or more sorts of discoloration, from differing causes. It is therefore important that the cause of tooth discolorations should be identified by a dentist before tooth-whitening treatment is undertaken, as the success of the treatment is very dependent on a correct diagnosis, which will normally require taking a thorough history including radiographs (x-rays), a dietary and a social history.
In some cases tooth whitening maybe difficult or ineffective, for example tooth with staining caused during tooth formation by certain antibiotics.
Tooth whitening mechanism:
The active ingredient in tooth whitening products is typically hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidising agent which is thought to react with the dark-coloured molecules located within tooth enamel and dentine making them smaller and less-coloured and rendering the tooth ‘whiter’. It should be noted that not all coloured molecules are susceptible to the action of hydrogen peroxide and so the correct diagnosis is important. The hydrogen peroxide is present in different forms and concentrations depending on the tooth whitening product so it is essential that the instructions given by your dentist are followed.
Tooth whitening methods:
Tooth whitening can be done at home or in the dental office. Depending on the type of discolouration your dentist may advice which method or technique is best for you.
At Home
Your dentist will make an impression for a model of your teeth. Then a thin, custom fitted, clear, plastic tray that fits over your teeth is made for you. At home you are then required to place the whitening gel into the tray, and place the tray over your teeth for up to two hours daily or at night. Though you can see the results after the first day, maximum whitening may take 10-14 days. Your dentist will check on your progress.
In-surgery
Here, the whitening gel is applied to the tooth by your dentist and a special light is used for up to 20-30 minutes to activate the gel. This process may be repeated few times to get maximum whitening.
Safety
Sometimes people will experience increased tooth and gum sensitivity during treatment period. This usually goes away shortly after stopping the treatment.
Before having your teeth whitened, it is important to get your teeth checked by your dentist as the whitening agent can penetrate through cracks or cavities in your teeth and can cause damage to the tooth pulp, as well as irritating the gums and lining of the mouth and weakening filling materials. Tooth whitening may also make your old fillings or crown look darker after treatment, so it is very important to be checked and advised of this before you proceed.
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NZDA Approved Products
Colgate Oral Care
Colgate Savacol Mouthrinse
Savacol MintSavacol FreshmintSavacol Alcohol-free
Colgate Fluoriguard Toothpaste
Great Regular FlavourCool MintBlue Minty GelTriple ActionSpidermanTotal ToothpasteTotal Fresh Stripe ToothpasteTartar Control ToothpasteSensitive Multiprotection ToothpasteSensitive Cool MintSensitive Enamel ProtectMaximum Cavity Protection Plus Sugar Acid Neutraliser
Wrigley
Extra Sugar Free Gum
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Our Initiatives
We continue to advocate for good oral health across the population and work with many issues that affect the oral health of the public. From free checkups to community water fuoridation, see how our communities benefit from the work we do every day.
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Free Dental Days
Smile NZ Free Dental Days 2022
Booking lines have now closed.
If you already have an appointment booked, please email [email protected] to find out more detais.
No new bookings will be taken at this time.
This opportunity is organised by the New Zealand Dental Association and Southern Cross Health Trust, provided by our valued volunteering NZDA Dentists.
Please note:
- You must have a CSC number.
- DO NOT contact the dental practice directly.
- We are experiencing a high volume of enquiries, so please be patient.
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Community Service Grants
Over the past nine years, the Mars Wrigley Foundation NZDA Community Service Grants programme has provided vital funds to dental professionals and students, enabling them to implement community projects to improve the oral health education and treatment in high risk New Zealand and Pacific Island communities (comprising of New Guinea, New Caledonia, Torres Strait Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Niue, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Micronesia, and Polynesia).
Between 2012 - 2020, the grants programme has:
- Provided 29,123 individuals access to oral care education
- Screened and treated around 3,400 individuals in need
- Enabled 747 volunteer dental professionals to donate 8,431 hours of their time to improving the oral health outcomes of high-risk and vulnerable communities
The retail costs of last year's programme alone was $185,157
The 2021 Mars Wrigley Foundation and NZDA Community Service Grants programme will continue to encourage dental professionals to implement oral health community service projects that provide oral health treatment and education to high risk and vulnerable communities.
2020 Grant Recipients
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Adopt A School
This programme aims to encourage NZDA dentists to consider supporting a local school to become water-only. By adopting a water-only policy, a school will become committed to make water and low-fat plain milk as the only drinks available at their school. To improve the oral health of our children, the Association is encouraging all schools in New Zealand to become water-only.
We encourage our members to make use of Adopt a School Toolkit to support a local school to become water-only. There are other healthy drink options such as water and low fat plain milk and we hope through the support of local dentists schools will be more willing to go sugary drink free.
Dentists resources:
The following resources are available for NZDA dentists wishing to support a local school to become water-only.
- Adopt a School Toolkit
- NZDA PowerPoint
- Educational leaflets
In addition, Colgate is supplying free toothpastes and toothbrushes to all schools supported by NZDA dentists to become water-only.
The toolkit has plenty of useful information for dentists including template of letters to schools, water-only policy template, step by step guide to support a school,and contact details of people who can support you in your region. However, if you need further information, or have any questions please contact the NZDA-Colgate Oral Health Promotion Manager.
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Sugary Drinks
Sugary drinks, also known as sugar-sweetened beverages, are the major source of sugars consumed by children and young people in New Zealand. These include any beverage that has added sugar such as carbonated or fizzy drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks and juices, powdered drinks, cordial and flavoured waters. The consumption of sugary drinks is associated with dental caries, weight gain and obesity. Dental caries is a significant health problem in New Zealand. Good oral health is not only a vital component of general health but also a basic human right.
As the leading professional organisation in oral health, the New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA) is committed to improve the oral health of all New Zealanders. Dentists see the effects of poor oral health every day in their practices, and are familiar with the negative effects of oral diseases on individuals’ quality of life. Dentists have a key role to play through advocacy at both national and local government level and contribute towards the development of strategies that address the drivers of poor oral health. They are also well positioned within their local communities, to advocate for oral health by lobbying and health education among general public.
However, dentists alone cannot find solutions to address poor oral health. The NZDA recognizes the challenges and complexity involved in addressing the drivers of poor oral health. A multi-sector collaborative approach is required to address the environmental drivers of poor oral health.
The NZDA and its partner organisations support and endorse the following actions to inform the public about the negative health impacts of sugary drinks and to advocate for population-wide strategies to reduce sugary drink consumption.
- Joint advocacy campaign aimed at Government and the beverage industry to introduce a sugar icon on the packaging of all sugary drinks to indicate the amount of sugar in each product in teaspoons.
- Introduction of mandatory regulation of marketing of sugary drinks to children through independent monitoring and evaluation of food marketing, especially at times and places frequented by children such as children’s sports and events.
- Introduction of daily allowance for the intake of free sugars for New Zealanders, in line with the recommendations from the WHO.
- Encourage the public to switch their sugary drinks to water by;
- introduction of warning labels linking overconsumption of sugary drinks to poor health.
- expansion of successful nation-wide social marketing campaigns such as ‘Switch to Water’.
- Encourage schools and early learning services to adopt ‘water-only’ policies.
- Development of policies by local government to introduce ‘water-only’ policies at council venues, events and limit the sale of sugary drinks in and around schools.
- Joint advocacy campaign, aimed at government, to introduce an excise tax on sugary drinks consistent with the WHO guidelines.
Sugary drinks are unique in that they have no nutritional value, they contribute empty calories and replace healthier beverage options. They are also extremely acidic. Sugary drinks are no longer a looming public health crisis, but a very real one. By working together, and acting now, we can prevent not only oral health damage, but obesity – a leading risk factor for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
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Community Water Fluoridation
The NZDA continues to strongly support and promote community water fluoridation as a safe and effective preventative measure to improve public oral health. It is the NZDA's postition that all New Zealanders who could have access to optimally fluoridated water do so have access.
Fluoride is a natural mineral that occurs in the earth's crust and is found in many foods we eat and drink, and in all drinking water. The amount of fluoride in the water varies between areas. The two most significant sources of fluoride are fluoridated water and fluoride toothpaste.
Fluoride works in two ways: systemically and topically.
Systemic: Fluoride builds into the developing tooth structure making them more resistant to decay. It is most effective when teeth get exposed to small levels of fluoride as they erupt through the gums.
Topical: Fluoride helps repair the early stages of decay by replacing the minerals lost on the surface of the teeth.
Community Water Fluoridation
This is the process of adjusting the natural level of fluoride in the water supply to the optimal level of between 0.7ppm to 1ppm (parts per million). The amount added is monitored to make sure that the levels stay within that range. Water fluoridation has both systemic and topical effects on teeth.
Community Water Fluoridation is an effective, safe and affordable way to prevent and reduce tooth decay for everyone.
Along with brushing teeth twice a day, eating healthy food and avoiding sugary drinks, water fluoridation helps to prevent tooth decay.
Click here to hear from trusted NZ health professionals and community leaders about community water fluoridation. They talk about the facts, the benefits and dispel some of the myths related to this critical health measure.
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National Oral Health Day
The NZDA promotes water to Gen Z Kiwis in new meme driven social media campaign for National Oral Health Day 2024.
The NZDA is urging young Kiwis to ditch sugary drinks for water throughout the month of November in its new look ‘Switch to Water’ social media campaign.
This year’s campaign to coincides with National Oral Health Day and aims to promote water as the drink of choice for Gen Z Kiwis.
New ‘Switch to Water’ ambassador, dentist and rising rugby star, Christian Lio-Willie, says he’s pumped to partner with NZDA on this campaign targeting Gen Z Kiwis.
“This year, we’ve focused on the 15-25-year-old group, as they drink the most sugary drinks, are targeted heavily by advertisers, and suffer disproportionately in terms of tooth decay and other negative health impacts.”
“To do that, we’ve created a meme based social media campaign utilising TikTok and Instagram platforms, and enlisted local influencers Odd Ones to help promote the ‘Switch to Water’ message and the ‘All Rizz No Fizz’ hands water challenge,” says Lio-Willie.
“This year’s challenge is a video based one, and designed to be a lot of fun,” he says.
“There are fantastic prizes on offer too, including two digital creator packs for the creators of the two best water challenge videos submitted during the November campaign period.”
Research reveals Kiwis consume around 37 teaspoons of sugar per day on average, which is detrimental to good health. The WHO advises adults and young adults should not consume more than 6 teaspoons per day, and children not more than 3-4 per day.
Consumption of sugary drinks is a leading cause of tooth decay in New Zealand and contributes significantly to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other serious health problems.
Currently, nearly two thirds of adults and one third of children are either overweight or obese in New Zealand.
NZDA President Dr Amanda Johnston says switching from sugary drinks to water has huge benefits for the whole body, and particularly the mouth.
“As a dentist, I see the damage being caused by high sugar drinks every day. They have absolutely no health benefits and are a major cause of tooth decay in our young people,” says Johnston.
“This year’s new campaign and challenge aims to capture the attention of our young people and promote healthy habits that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.”
To learn more, visit switchtowater.co.nz and find out how you can participate in this year’s challenge and be into win some great prizes.
There, you will also find information on the benefits of water, as well as links to our campaign social channels.
