"Switch to Water. Switch off tooth decay" - drinking water fountains in schools.
After receiving a request from a primary school for funding of a drinking-water fountain, the ADA decided to explore how we could provide drinking-water fountains to not just one school, but to many and to include early childhood centres in the mix. ‘Switch to water, switch off tooth decay’ is the result – a partnership with Mountain Fresh that sees both the ADA and Mountain Fresh provide a financial contribution towards the purchase and installation of drinking-water fountains in any Auckland primary school and early childhood centre. The discounted amount can mean a saving of up to $600 per unit for a school (depending on the type of unit fountain pruchased). In return for the discount, the school or early childhood centre must agree to have our ‘Switch to water’ plaque mounted on the fountain.
In 2018 the ADA/Mountain Fresh partnership saw 29 discounted drinking-water fountains installed across 13 different schools and early childhood centres. In 2019 we grew the number to 37 drinking-water fountains across 11 schools/ECCs.
This partnership has enabled us to strengthen the NZDA's 'switch to water' message at a local level.
To find out how your school or early childhood centre can receive an ADA discount on a drinking-water fountain purchased from Mountain Fresh please contact Melinda Mayor at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
To date, over 7600 children, parents and teachers have attended the Family Teeth Matters programme, which has been going for four years. The programme is all about helping parents and caregivers make good choices around the food and drink they put in their child's mouth. "If they manage the sugar correctly, they can eliminate that whole childhood decay problem," says David Wallbridge, dentist and founder. He said our society was "just awash with vast quantities of sugar" and said a lot of parents did not associate sugar with a lot of foods. The programme is run at some preschools and primary schools in Glen Innes and South Auckland, as well as at community days. The programme features Detective Sugar Spotter and the Tooth Fairy and there is a video presentation, along with a resource box with games and quizzes, activities and reading books. 
