Introduction: For many dentists, the name Rudolf Naujoks stands for topclass basic research and professional-political commitment. The present article takes this positive but general image as an opportunity to highlight Naujoks’ concrete influence on the development of dentistry; a further focus is on his relationship to National Socialism.
Material and methods: The methodological basis of the study are files from the Hamburg State Archive. In addition, research was conducted at the Berlin Federal Archives. The scientific publications of Naujoks and the secondary literature available on his person were evaluated as further sources.
Results: Naujoks was one of the most sustainable modernizers of German dentistry in the second half of the century. During his term of office as president of the German Society for Dental and Oral Medicine (DGZMK), the “Akademie Praxis und Wissenschaft” (Academy Practice and Science, APW, 1974) and various working groups were established, which significantly promoted the further development of the DGZMK and beyond. His scientific achievements included innovative research on caries prophylaxis and fluoridation. There were no indications of a political connection to National Socialism. Discussion and
conclusion: Compared to his predecessors, Naujoks had specific characteristics and approaches: These relate to his educational path, his understanding of dentistry, his research approach, his publication practice, his vision with regard to the DGZMK and his political orientation. These characteristics show that Naujoks initiated a far-reaching paradigm shift both within the DGZMK and within university dentistry.