New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA)

The New Zealand Dental Association is the professional association for the dentists in New Zealand. In New Zealand, the conditions for practising dentistry are controlled by the statutory body- The Dental Council of New Zealand. Depending on the area in which a dentist wishes to practise, the work opportunities are variable in New Zealand. In private practice many opportunities are available on the basis of assistantship, locum or purchase. Even though the hospital dental departments and school dental services employ dentists, there are fewer opportunities available in the public sector. The NZDA provides services for its members and is the collective voice that can speak on behalf of NZ dentistry as a whole and is the strength of dentistry. It has more than 2500 members, which represents approximately 96% of all registered dentists in New Zealand. The NZDA is New Zealand's leading advocate for oral health. NZDA works to ensure the future of the professional, educate the public and advocate for health care that works. All dentists who are members of the NZDA automatically become members of the FDI World Dental Federation. One of the three missions of the New Zealand Dental Association is "to promote dental and allied sciences".  Although the Association does not undertake research of its own, it promotes and funds dental research in New Zealand through the New Zealand Dental Research Foundation. During the 1950s, the New Zealand Dental Association became concerned that more should be done to stimulate dental and oral research in this country and, in 1961, commissioned a report that recommended the creation of a dental research foundation. Established in May 1964, the New Zealand Dental Research Foundation awards grants for research projects related to dentistry. Its overall purpose is to "promote, foster and extend the study and practice of the art and science of dentistry in New Zealand". The Foundation Board considers applications for funding to support new or on-going projects, to purchase equipment, or for any other purpose that will result in the acquisition and/or dissemination of new knowledge relevant to dentistry. The Board annually invites applications for grants, assesses their quality with advice from national and international expert referees, ranks them and approves funding up to the level determined by that year's income transferred from the Foundation Trust. Since its inception, the Foundation has provided financial support for numerous research projects related to dental and oral health, to help extend the boundaries of dental knowledge and to promote the fostering and extension of the study and practice of the art and science of dentistry in New Zealand. The number of awards offered varies each year and currently has an individual application ceiling of $15,000.