Last decennia much attention has been paid to improve the oral health of schoolchildren. The purpose of this study was to examine the present caries prevalence and the state of oral health of schoolchildren. Therefore 1.147 children from group 2 and group 8 of the primary school (6 and 12 years of age) in the province Drenthe were examined. Of the children 33% had caries and 13% had gingivitis. The highest percentages of caries were found in the low SES-group and among children that have education at schools for children with special needs. The study showed that these children brushed their teeth less often, they visited the dentist for the first time at an older age and they were eating many snacks. Children who had received an instruction in how to brush one’s teeth, did not score better in the caries prevalence compared to children without previous instruction. Also the children whose parents had information about oral health, did not score better than the other children.

Treatment of mandibular edentulousness with endosseous permucosal implants has evolved to a common treatment option during the last decades. In The Netherlands, the relative cheap prosthetic treatment of implant-supported overdentures is considered a qualitatively adequate treatment. The aim of the study described in this article was to survey the treatment of edentulous mandibles by fixed implant-supported prostheses and implant-supported overdentures, and to register the different mesostructures used. All clinics of special dental care and all larger clinics for implant dentistry in The Netherlands received a questionnaire. The data provided showed that more than 90% of patients treated with implants because of mandibular edentulousness, were provided with an overdenture. In 85% of cases a bar-clip mesostructure was used. Cost control was the most important reason to choose an overdenture above a fixed implant-supported prosthesis.

The opinions of professional dental organisations, the government (Ministry of Health), patient organisations and the medical assurance companies are collected on the question whether patients could visit the dental hygienist without being seen by a dentist first. The general opinion is that this could be possible for those treatments for which the dental hygienist are fully qualified. However, the professional organisations of the dentists claim that the dentist should always be responsible for the patient register and thereby the first responsible for the dental health of the patients. Pilot projects are advised to study how the various dental health workers can most efficiently work together.

This paper is a comment on The enigma of dental amalgam by Carl Leinfelder published in 2004 in the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry. In that paper a warning is stated against a too abrupt change from amalgam towards resin composite, because this will bring a lot of clinical problems due to the limited skills of todays dentists in placing posterior composite resin restorations. However, the situation in The Netherlands is different since a gradual changeover from amalgam towards resin composites has taken place during the last decades and dental schools have skipped training in placing amalgam restorations out of the curriculum. Clinical studies on the longevity of amalgam and resin composite restorations placed by dental students and dentists who are experienced in both composite resin and amalgam placement show a comparable and acceptable annual failure rate for those restorations. It is concluded that a gradual changeover from amalgam towards composite resin is preferred to avoid clinical problems.

One of the goals in dental education is to teach students the principles of evidence-based dentistry. This requires the input of scientifically trained clinical staff. It is important to explore and find ways that will invite young and ambitious clinicians to choose for an academic career in which they combine clinical excellence with commitment to science. Various options are discussed that might seduce young clinicians to enter academia and help create a climate in which the dental student of tomorrow will be educated as a critically thinking scientifically trained dentist who is prepared for life-long learning.

Ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint and the possibly associated deformation of maxillofacial bones are functionally and aesthetically serious problems. Despite the developments in oral and maxillofacial surgery, treatment of patients with ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint still remains challenging. This article presents a review of the developments in this treatment, 25 years after the publication of the thesis Temporomandibular joint ankylosis. Nowadays, computertomography is the standard for imaging assessment, possibly combined with stereolithography. Resection of the ankylotic mass is the surgery method of choice. The gap is filled by interpositional tissue transfer of temporalis muscle or a fascia flap. Early mobilisation and intensive physiotherapy are needed. In case of maxillofacial asymmetry, distraction osteogenesis has proved to be successful.

To offer a more comprehensive curriculum in various dental topics, the dental school of the University of Groningen developed electives. This article gives an overview of the learning objectives of the different electives, the program and the way in which students are examined. Attention is also paid to some experiences of students and teachers with this kind of education. The electives seem to effectively prepare students for specific parts of dentistry, and they give an orientation on the scientific aspects of dentistry. Students and teachers are positive about the electives. The electives give good opportunities to the assessment of professional behavior.

An 86-year-old edentulous patient visits a denturist for the provision of a new set of dentures. In the region 36/37 of the lower denture base extension is a bony like structure apparent, that does really not bother the patient. The denturist refers the patient for further diagnosis. It appeared to be a benign condition (traumatic periosteal ossification) that did not require surgical intervention. The responsibilities and capabilities of the denturist with regard to the treatment of edentulous patients are discussed in light of the current Dutch legislation.

A 34-year-old woman complained of a swelling in the midline of the mandible, present for about six months and diagnosed as ossifying fibroma. Because of the rapid development and the extent of the tumour, treatment consisted of a partial mandibulectomy, followed by immediate reconstruction with a free vascularized fibula transplant.

Obesity has a prevalence of approximately 10% among Dutch adults. It is a chronic, incurable disease with a high mortality and co-morbidity. The co-morbidity can be reduced significantly by a sustained moderate weight loss (5-15%). The main cause of obesity is an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. The primary treatment combines dietary education, behaviour modification and increased physical activity, followed by pharmacotherapy or surgery when necessary. Obesity is related to several aspects of oral health, such as caries, periodontitis and xerostomia. In addition, obesity may have implications for dental treatment.