70% fewer cavities
The dissertation with the translated title 'Optimizing oral health; towards individualised, (cost) effective oral care' describes the Non-Operative Caries Treatment and Prevention (NOCTP) method. NOCTP is the official name of the Nexø method. The thesis of Dr. Erik Vermaire shows that the NOCTP strategy gives almost 70% fewer cavities in children compared to the control group.

Scientific background
The introduction of this thesis provides a brief insight into the development of caries (tooth decay) in human history. The introduction shows that – also in the Netherlands – there is still a lot to be gained in caries prevalence when looking at the most recent caries prevalence figures. The aim of this doctoral research was threefold. The first aim was to determine the clinical effectiveness of two caries preventive protocols compared to a standard preventive protocol that includes a twice-yearly dental check-up, oral hygiene instruction, professional fluoride application and routine sealing of erupted permanent molars. The study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The second aim of the study was an economic evaluation of the strategies followed. In order to give direction to individualized prevention, the mapping of common attitudes of parents has been set as the third goal. In addition, the relationship with dental health-related variables was investigated.