Are We A Nation Of Dirty Teeth And Furry Mouths?

Media Release
November 3 2003

Are we a nation of dirty teeth and furry mouths?

Women be warned! Nearly two thirds of Kiwi men hit the town with dirty teeth.

A survey released today by Oral-B CrossAction Power reveals 62 percent of men surveyed admit to leaving for a night out without brushing their teeth.

But girls there is some good news. When it comes to intimacy and sharing between couples, men are significantly more willing to let their partner use their toothbrush with half of those surveyed saying they would, as opposed to only 31 percent of women.

Kiwi blokes do seem to be up for anything and would be open to sharing their toothbrush with someone they have never met before. Nearly a quarter of men happily admitted they would offer songstress Kylie Minogue their tooth scrubber given the chance.

Women however were disgusted at the idea or maybe it was the male celebrity in question. A mere seven percent agreed to share their toothbrush with bad boy Robbie Williams.

Oral-B commissioned the NFO research to find out how good New Zealanders' brushing habits really are, coinciding with the launch of its CrossAction Power toothbrush.

"A few of the results were surprising - others disgusting - but there were some pleasing responses as well," says Mat Hamlin, Oral-B Business Manager.

"For example, we discovered an impressive 50 percent of Kiwis would go to the trouble of brushing their teeth if food was trapped between them rather than reach for something else closer to hand.

"And a resounding 90 percent said their toothbrush would be the first thing they'd go for if experiencing that unpleasant furry feeling."

It seems New Zealand is a nation of "do gooders" with nearly 70 percent brushing their teeth the recommended twice per day. Hamiltonians must be an extra fanatic bunch as more than 20 percent clean their teeth three times a day compared to Aucklanders and Wellingtonians at only seven percent.

Alarmingly, there are people who brush their teeth just once a day, 24 percent of Wellingtonians to be exact, and a quarter of men surveyed.

When we do brush our pearly whites we spend a lot of time at it - on average 2.5 minutes a session, a commendable 30 seconds more than the recommended minimum. Age matters too as New Zealanders tend to become lazier as they get older brushing on average 2.2 minutes, compared with 2.8 minutes for those in their 20s.

Oral-B CrossAction Power is an advanced battery powered toothbrush delivering more cleaning action than the leading manual toothbrush. Its multi-angled CrissCross bristles reach deep between teeth while the rotating PowerHead surrounds the teeth, cleaning those hard-to-reach places. The result is a deeper, more complete clean.

CrossAction Power comes with either a blue, magenta, violet, or emerald coloured handle.

CrossAction Power's patented blue indicator bristles fade to signal when to replace the brushhead. The high-efficiency motor requires only one AA-size alkaline battery for more than two months of use when brushing teeth twice a day for two minutes.

"Oral-B is committed to innovation and developing dental care products that provide users with superior oral health," says Mat. "CrossAction Power gives an overall feeling of clean that goes beyond a manual toothbrush."

Oral-B's CrossAction Power toothbrush is available in New Zealand from supermarkets and pharmacies and has a recommended retail price of $16.95.

Ends

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