Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2009, 6 3. Results 2504 Our efforts led finally to the development of a visual system for the detection and diagnosis of caries that is universally applicable and adaptable (Figure 2 and 3, detailed descriptions of each criteria can be taken from the electronic supplementary information). The clinical use of the system is very flexible and may be adjusted as required. It is not only possible to choose the most appropriate criteria set for each study protocol but the examination conditions can also be modified according to what is intended to be achieved. Table 1 summarizes the typical parameters. For a better comparability of results the selected examination details should be specified in each study protocol. The standard examination equipment consists of the CPI probe and the dental mirror. The CPI probe is used to help the metric differentiation between established lesions and microcavities as well as for the pressureless tactile examination of the tooth surface. Table 1. Summary of possible conditions for the usage of UniViSS. Study type Field Clinical Laboratory Tools Cotton rolls Illumination Head lamp Magnifying glass/ loop Examination lamp Dental unit with air syringe Operating light of the dental unit Tooth cleaning Patient brushed him/herself Professional tooth cleaning with a bristle brush etc. Professional tooth cleaning with air polishing Figure 2. Criteria of the Universal Visual Scoring System for pits and fissures (UniViSS occlusal).