The Healthy Toddlers research project of the Innovations in Preventive Care professorship at Utrecht University of Applied Sciences has won the RAAK audience award. The prize was awarded at the 2021 SIA RAAK conference, as part of the election of the best projects in practice-oriented research.

With Healthy Toddlers, the researchers are using a new way to reduce cavities in toddlers. At nine clinics in the Netherlands, an oral care coach provides parents of babies and toddlers with tailor-made preventive oral care advice from the breakthrough of the first baby tooth. Because the clinic has a visit loyalty of >95%, this offers the unique opportunity to see almost all children at regular intervals and to introduce healthy oral and feeding behavior before unhealthy behavior has already been learned. The method used is based on the Gewoon Gaaf program and offers additional tools for the dental care professional to enter into discussions with parents of the very young.