Who we are – Byte NZ

Our why

Dental disease is not just a childhood disease with many adults being affected. The complications of dental disease, including pain from toothache and dental infections, can be serious. Sometimes hospital level care is required. In Canterbury, around $12 million a month is spent on complications with decay that can cause life threatening infections needing hospital level care, including ICU. Over one year 385 patients within hospital, of whom 127 were admitted to a ward and 25 were admitted to ICU.

If your organisation helps people and wants to prevent these probelms, but doesn’t have access to these essential health products, then click.

BYTE’s long term goal is to halt decay. Much of this disease is preventable if we follow the Ministry of Health Guidelines

Founder and director of BYTE, Steve Manning, is a Christchurch-based dental specialist who knows decay is an entirely preventable disease.

“That’s my passion, to try and make a difference to prevent problems. I wanted to help in some way and thought I should do what I’m well-trained at. And then I thought the thing to do would be to try and prevent the problems that I see. And so that’s where BYTE started.”

Steve’s idea came on the heels of the Oral Health Survey (2009) which found that dental decay is the most prevalent chronic (and irreversible) disease in New Zealand. According to the Oral Health Survey:

· Māori and Pacifica people were less likely to have caries-free primary teeth

· Māori were less likely to meet toothbrushing recommendations than non-Māori

· Children and adolescents in the most deprived areas were less likely to meet toothbrushing recommendations

What we do

At BYTE, we strongly believe in health equity. The Ministry of Health recommends that people should brush their teeth twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste and spit it out but not rinse to provide the full effect of fluoride on teeth.

We provide both traditional mint flavoured and flavourless toothpaste. Flavourless toothpaste is often preferred by people whose medical treatment leads to a dry mouth and/or sensitivity to traditional mint toothpaste. Having a dry mouth increases your risk for tooth decay. Dental infection or pain in these medically challenged patients can be life threatening. Regular brushing with fluoride toothpaste even more important.

Our objective

PROBLEM

More than 1 million New Zealanders do not follow recommended guidance to address the high rates of dental disease.

This leads to:

4,000 hospital visits each year due to complications of dental disease, many of these requiring ICU care.
40% of children developing holes in the teeth, some of these requiring extraction.

SOLUTION

A multi-pronged approach to reduce barriers and increase awareness to addressing dental decay and disease.

BYTE provides free toothbrushes and toothpaste to lower socio-economic groups through schools programmes. We have also trialled a teeth-cleaning programme in Te Kōmanawa Rowley Ave School.

FUTURE

Our aim is simple – to avoid dental disease.

BYTE relies on donations to address New Zealand’s high rates of dental disease. Donate to help us address dental decay and disease.

Spread the message: · Brush your teeth for 2 minutes