GigaGaaf!

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the
effect of a community-based intervention
named “GigaGaaf!”. The intervention aims to
promote oral health of children aged 4 to 11
months to 4-6 years. Participants are children
aged 4 to 11 months and their parents in two
regions, i.e. the province of Groningen (mainly
low socioeconomic status, Dutch origin) and
the city of The Hague (mainly low
socioeconomic status, varying ethnic
background). In both regions, both
intervention- and control-group will be
composed. Children in the intervention-group
receive the GigaGaaf! Intervention and
children in the control-group receive care as
usual. The follow-up is until ages 4 to 6 years.



The GigaGaaf! intervention consists of 1); A
referral from the well-baby clinic physician to a
dental clinic for the first preventive dental
appointment between ages 4-12 months and
education about the importance of this first
appointment and 2) Providing supervision from
an oral health professional who works
according to the Non Operative Caries
Treatment Programme (NOCTP). NOCTP is an
individualized caries prevention program.



Care as usual is dental care starting at varying
ages (but usually not before the age of 2
years), with next mostly visits of the dental
clinic once every half year.



The evaluation consists of:

1 ) an effect evaluation relating to caries
experience of children measured by ICDAS and
Nyvad criteria at the age of 4 to 6 years and
parental knowledge and behavior regarding
oral health measured by a questionnaire at the
ages of 6 months, 2 years, and 4 to 6 years to
explore if there is a difference between the
intervention and control group;

2 ) a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Children aged 4 to 6 years in the intervention
group who have received the GigaGaaf!
intervention have a different oral health than
children aged 4 to 6 years from the control
group who have received care as usual.
Parents of the children aged 4 to 6 years who
have received the GigaGaaf! intervention have
different knowledge and behavior regarding
oral health of their child than parents of
children aged 4 to 6 years who have received
care as usual group.

Measurements (of knowledge/behavior) at child ages 6 months (T1: 2015-2016), 2 years (T2: 2017-2018) and 4 to 6 years (T3: 2020).
Caries experience measurements at 4 to 6 years (T3: 2020).

The GigaGaaf! intervention consists of 1); A referral from the well-baby clinic physician to a dental clinic for the first preventive dental
appointment between ages 4-12 months and education about the importance of this first appointment and 2) Providing supervision from
an oral health professional who works according to the Non Operative Caries Treatment Programme (NOCTP). NOCTP is an individualized caries prevention program wherein the recall interval is individually assessed based on the risk criteria: 1) caries progression; and 2) parents’ motivation and compliance to favorable behavior regarding oral health regarding brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste, brushing/additional
brushing by parents, and limiting the frequency of eating and drinking and healthy child nutrition.

Control condition: The control condition consists of care as usual, which is dental care starting at varying ages (but usually not before the age of 2 years), with next mostly visits of the dental clinic once every half year.