The treatment of dental caries can be approached from more perspectives than just restoration. At a recent congress of the Dutch Society of Paediatric Dentistry and the Dutch Society for Dental health of the Disabled, various visions for the treatment of caries in young children were extensively discussed. This article is a report on congress papers concerning the (im)possibility of preventive approaches, the prerequisites for restorative care and the complications and obstacles in treatment. In the case of all selected strategies, it appears that the strong cooperative support of (the parents of) the patient is necessary, whether it is preventive or only restorative or a combination of the two. It also became clear that the Dutch approach to the deciduous dentition leaves room for structural improvement, for example by an expansion of dental health care for the youngest group.