NSK Blue Prize: “We welcome excellence in all its forms”

The NSK Blue Prize was created to place a global spotlight on pioneering achievements that have advanced dental science and improved oral health. We hope that the prize will help raise awareness of the essential role that dentistry plays in addressing some of the world’s most pressing health challenges and encourage greater appreciation of its contribution to society.

You have expressed the ambition for the prize eventually to become the field’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize. What would achieving this mean for dental science and oral healthcare?
When we speak of the NSK Blue Prize becoming the “Nobel Prize of dentistry”, we are not referring simply to prestige. Our ambition is for it to become the most respected international recognition in dental science—an award that inspires excellence, promotes innovation and highlights achievements that have transformed oral healthcare around the world. Achieving that vision would mean that the prize would serve as a catalyst for new discoveries, greater international collaboration and stronger public recognition of the value of dental science.

The award covers a broad range of achievements, including scientific and technological advances and work with social or global health impact. What, in your view, distinguishes a potentially prize-winning achievement?
A prize-winning achievement is one that fundamentally advances dentistry and demonstrates a meaningful impact on human health and well-being. Scientific originality, rigour and excellence are essential, but we also believe that truly significant achievements are those that ultimately improve people’s lives.

The NSK Blue Prize recognises contributions across a broad spectrum, including basic science, clinical innovation, translational research, technological development and initiatives that improve oral health at the community or global level. What unites these diverse contributions is their ability to create lasting value and open up new possibilities for the future of dentistry.

How will the selection committee assess both scientific excellence and benefits for patients and society?
The selection committee will evaluate candidates through a comprehensive and balanced assessment. Scientific merit will remain a fundamental criterion, alongside demonstrated or clearly foreseeable benefits for patients, clinical practice, public health and society. We believe that the most outstanding contributions are those that combine scientific excellence with meaningful real-world impact.

Could you clarify who is eligible for the prize?
The NSK Blue Prize is intended to recognise individuals whose contributions have significantly advanced dental science and oral healthcare, regardless of their professional background or institutional affiliation. Although academic researchers will naturally be among the candidates, the prize is not limited to traditional research settings. Practising dentists, clinical innovators, educators, public health leaders and those working in multidisciplinary teams may all be eligible if their work has resulted in outstanding contributions of international significance to the field.

Progress in dentistry often results from collaboration across disciplines and the integration of science, clinical practice, education and public health. Therefore, we welcome excellence in all its forms and seek to recognise contributions wherever they originate.

How does the prize reflect NSK’s values while maintaining its academic independence from commercial interests?
The NSK Blue Prize embodies the spirit of “brilliant progress”, which has guided NSK throughout its history. At its core, this philosophy reflects a commitment to advancing society through innovation, quality and continuous improvement.

The award also reflects the values that define NSK. It celebrates exciting and groundbreaking achievements that expand the frontiers of knowledge. It emphasises quality by recognising work of the highest scientific and professional standards. It also embraces openness and honesty through a transparent and fair selection process.

Maintaining independent academic judgement is essential to the credibility of the award. For this reason, laureates will be selected by an independent international selection committee composed of highly respected experts. Decisions will be based solely on scientific and societal merit, and safeguards have been established to ensure that commercial interests do not influence the evaluation process. Fairness, transparency and integrity are fundamental principles of the NSK Blue Prize.

Beyond the prize money and international recognition, what opportunities do you hope the award will create for recipients and for the wider dental community?
We hope that the NSK Blue Prize will generate opportunities that extend far beyond recognition itself. By highlighting outstanding achievements, the prize may encourage international collaboration, stimulate new research initiatives and create valuable connections among researchers, clinicians, educators and public health professionals around the world.

We are particularly eager for the prize to inspire younger generations. The achievements of the laureates may serve as powerful examples of how dedication, creativity and scientific excellence can make a meaningful contribution to humanity. We hope that the prize will encourage young dentists and researchers to pursue ambitious ideas and help shape the future of oral healthcare.