Beaming Richie's winning smile beats them all: Survey

Sir Graham Henry and Richie McCaw. Photo / Greg Bowker

We were all delighted to see Richie McCaw grinning when the whistle went in the Rugby World Cup Final - and now we think it's the country's most powerful smile.

The All Black captain edged out politicians, including Prime Minister John Key, in a survey by Oral-B Powerbrush toothbrush company.

McCaw took out top smile honours, winning 43 per cent of the vote.

Mr Key's grin came in at 38 per cent. Peter Jackson's smile received 9 per cent of the vote while the smile of former Prime Minister Helen Clark and the upside-down smile of World Cup coach Sir Graham Henry received 5 per cent each.

The survey also found one in 10 New Zealanders brushed their teeth less than once a day and more than half had early signs of gum disease.

Just 55 per cent of Kiwis brushed their teeth the dentist-recommended twice daily, the survey found.

The study showed 81 per cent of the population had cavities, and 51 per cent experienced bleeding gums - a common sign of gingivitis.

The inflammatory gum disease is due to the long-term effects of plaque deposits.

Only 18 per cent of New Zealanders floss daily, 15 per cent using mouthwash every day.

Dr Hisham Abdalla, an Auckland-based international lecturer in dentistry, said aside from bad breath the financial and social costs of oral disease were a serious burden on society.

"Poor oral health can lead to gum disease which can seriously affect general health," Dr Abdalla said.

"[It] can progress to destroying the jawbone over time, leading to tooth loss. Gum disease over a period of time increases the person's risk for many other diseases."

Cost was nominated as the main reason for not visiting the dentist by 84 per cent of people, followed by pain at 13 per cent and inconvenience at 9 per cent of respondents.

The online survey of 1000 people was carried out by the firm Perceptive.

GRIN POWER

* 43 per cent Richie McCaw
* 38 per cent Prime Minister John Key and Sir Peter Jackson
* 5 per cent Helen Clark and Sir Graham Henry.