For the dental care of parents and children, people in the Netherlands rely especially on the advice of the Ivory Cross. The basis of this advice is plaque removal with fluoride toothpaste. When this offers insufficient protection, one usually finds irregular and careless dental hygiene. Information and instruction concerning daily and careful dental hygiene should receive the highest priority of dental care professionals. If a patient’s own dental care cannot be brought up to standard or if this cannot be done immediately, then (temporary) support can be provided by dental professionals in the form of preventive treatment. Doing this, however, without improving the self care of patients has to be regarded an inadequate treatment modality.