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Updated: May 28, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
[Dissertations 25 years after date 30. Oral hygiene and dental hygienists]
1Onafhankelijk publicist, onderzoeker en PAOT-docent pedodontologie/cariologie. r.gruyt@planet.nl
Abstract:
In 1986 the thesis entitled 'Choosing for dental hygienists' was published in The Netherlands. It provided the scientific basis for the further development of the profession of dental hygienists in The Netherlands. Since then, the profession has developed very strongly. In the intervening years, qualified dental hygienists have come to be considered capable of taking over simple restorative treatments from dentists. As a result, treatment, especially in children, can largely be carried out by one person. Nevertheless, recent developments, such as the sharp increase in the number of new dental students, suggest that the re-allocation of responsibilities is proceeding slowly. This suggests that policy makers have not yet unambiguously opted for dental hygienists and prevention.
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