Newsletter
WELLINGTON, New Zealand: In order to establish good oral hygiene habits in New Zealand children from a young age and to fight early childhood caries, dental consumables manufacturer Colgate will be providing toothbrushes and toothpaste to children through a collaboration with the Plunket Society, a provider of health services for children from birth to 5 years. The project will be supported by the New Zealand Dental Association.
Colgate announced that it will be giving a toothbrush and toothpaste to every baby at their 5-month visit at Plunket. In addition, the company will be providing educational resources for parents to educate them on the importance of oral care even before the baby’s first tooth appears.
“Oral disease is one of the most preventable chronic diseases in New Zealand,” said Colgate Scientific Affairs Manager Rebecca Schipper. “However, the proportion of children visiting a dental professional each year is lowest in the 2- to 4-year-old age bracket,” she added.
According to a report by the New Zealand Parliament’s Health Committee published in November last year, only about 59 per cent of children had caries-free primary teeth when they started school in 2012. For Maori children, the proportion was even lower (42 per cent). The report also found worse oral health outcomes in children living in low socio-economic areas.
“In areas of particular hardship, in addition to the toothpaste we can provide extra toothbrushes for other children in the family at a new baby’s 5-month Plunket visit,” Schipper said.
Colgate, Plunket and the New Zealand Dental Association have been collaborating since 2007, providing about 50,000 toothbrushes and toothpastes to New Zealand infants each year since 2010.
