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The objective was to identify dental professionals' attitudes and awareness on evidence based dentistry (EBD), and to elucidate perceived barriers and views on how to move towards EBD. A questionnaire was sent to 290 dental professionals (dental hygienists, general dentists, specialist dentists) in the county of Halland, Sweden. The questionnaire consisted of closed questions and free text sections, related to attitudes, awareness and skills on databases, EBD, and terms related to scientific publications, as well as perceived barriers towards EBD. A majority of the respondents had a welcoming attitude towards EBD. The respondents perceived their colleagues less positive towards EBD. The respondents considered EBD, at least partly, useful in daily dental practice. With the exception of general dentists in private practice, a vast majority of the dental professionals thought that EBD would improve the care of their patients. Dental professionals in the county of Halland, in Sweden, had a welcoming attitude towards EBD, and indicated an open attitude for learning more about interpretation of evidence from scientific publications. The most commonly perceived barriers towards EBD, were 'lack of time' and 'poor availability of evidence'.

In this article we report on how 64 dentists working in a big city in southern Sweden view their profession. The dentists ranged in age from 30 to 70 years (as it was indicated in intervals of 10 years). Their professional experience ranged from 2 to 44 years (mean, 23 years). We collected their views on the ideal skills of a good dentist by means of a questionnaire. From this material we identified three categories: 1) interpersonal skills; 2) clinical skills; and 3) others, such as self-confidence, stress tolerance, and managerial and administrative skills. Next, they rated the relative importance of a number of listed attributes in dentistry in this order: contact with patients, communication skills, empathy, manual skills, and theory. Finally, they described a number of aspects of their profession. We conclude that the importance of interpersonal skills, as well as stress tolerance and administrative skills, is emphasized by experienced practitioners but that these skills are not focused on in the dental curriculum.

Introduction: Dentists educated outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland have the option to undergo proficiency testing to practice dentistry in Sweden. A standardised evidence‐based procedure for proficiency tests is crucial. This paper explores if the standard setting of the theoretical examination in the Swedish proficiency test for foreign dentists is fit to differentiate candidates who meet the acceptable standard for licensure from those who do not, by analysis of inter‐rater reliability and credibility of Angoff panels and the test's ability to differentiate candidates regarding learning outcomes and dental disciplines. Materials and Methods: In a cohort study design, test results were collected from seven examinations during 2018–2019 (n = 316), combined with Angoff judgements and demographic data from The National Board of Health and Welfare. Intraclass correlation, Pearson correlation and linear regression were calculated. Results: All exams demonstrated substantial judge inter‐rater reliability using the Angoff procedure (0.65–0.82). Item difficulty predicted by the expert panels showed significant positive correlations with the item difficulty by candidate results (0.69–0.77). Candidates who did not meet the requirements for pass mark in the theoretical test revealed a significantly reduced performance overall in professional qualifications (i.e., learning outcomes) and reduced performance within dental disciplines. Conclusions: The results indicate that a modified Angoff method is a feasible, simple, and defensible method for setting the pass mark for the theoretical examinations. The standard setting appears to differentiate candidates who do not meet the requirements of the professional qualifications of the dental degree. Adjustments could be undertaken to further discriminate for competence within single dental disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research into work-related factors that positively influence Oral Health Providers (OHPs) health is scarce. This study aimed to analyse which OHPs in dental services remain healthy over time in relation to work- and health-related factors. OHPs took part in this prospective cohort study (n = 168). In 2012 and 2014 they answered a questionnaire featuring questions about demographics, health indicators, work and organisational factors. OHPs were classified into three subgroups; healthy group (n = 66), semi-healthy group (n = 45) and unhealthy group (n = 57). The healthy group reported no sick leave or sickness presence in 2012 or 2014. Factors that explained a greater likelihood of belonging to the healthy group were: good work ability, not having neck pain, perceived low exertion at the end of the working day, not having sleeping problems. They scored higher on health indicators than OHPs in the unhealthy group. OHPs with no sick leave or sickness presence report much better salutogenic health, better physical work ability and lower perceived exertion at the end of their workday compared with unhealthy group of OHPs. Understanding the relationship between working conditions and well-being is crucial to target interventions for OHPs which improve work conditions and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) appears to be more challenging than for other dental conditions. This study aimed to explore the decision‐making process in TMD management, and thereby to conceptualize the decision‐making process in dentistry. Individual semi‐structured interviews were conducted during 2018 and 2019 with a purposive sample of 22 general dental practitioners from the Public Dental Healthcare Services and private practices in the Region of Västerbotten, Northern Sweden. The interviews were analysed using the Grounded Theory approach of Charmaz. Data analysis resulted in the core category 'Combining own competence and others' expectations in the desire to do the right thing'. The dentists showed interest in and a desire to apply professional knowledge, but also reflected on challenges and complexity in the decision‐making process for TMD. The challenges were primarily related to organisational factors and lack of self‐confidence. This identifies a need for re‐organisation of daily clinical management in dentistry, and a need for more postgraduate training to improve self‐confidence. The complexity of the decision‐making process for TMD makes the study findings applicable in other dental situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The primary aim was to describe self-perceived oral health and function in a group of adults aged 75 to 84 years. The secondary aim was to study the agreement between self-reported oral function and clinical findings.Material and Methods: A 5% sample (150 subjects) was selected at random from the total population (2,910) of 75 to 84-year-old residents in suburban Stockholm, Sweden. The inclusion criterion was that the individual lived independently, without any community assistance. A questionnaire covering self-perceived chewing ability, mouth dryness and bleeding gums was sent by mail. The total response rate was 86%. Of these 129 respondents, a 25.0% subsample was randomly selected for clinical examination by a dental hygienist. No radiographs were used.Results: The average age of the individuals was 78.7 years (SD 2.71). Most were satisfied with their oral status and function: > 75.0% reported good chewing ability, correlating with the number of remaining teeth and dentures. Mouth dryness was reported by 41.5% of respondents to the questionnaire; one case was diagnosed in the subsample which underwent clinical examination. Bleeding gums were reported by 11.8% of respondents; clinical examination disclosed bleeding on probing in all participants. Mouth dryness and bleeding gums were not associated with chewing ability.Conclusion: Most subjects reported satisfactory chewing ability. Deterioration in oral function correlated with fewer remaining teeth and removable dentures. In relation to the clinical findings, mouth dryness was 'over-reported' and bleeding gums were 'under-reported'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study aims to gain knowledge about the dentist's use and choice of digital extraoral imaging methods, panoramic radiography and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).Materials and Methods: A questionnaire sent to 2481 dentists within the Swedish Dental Society contained questions about the panoramic technique and CBCT technique used, education, clinic size and type of service. The response rate was 53%.Results: The study showed that 61% of the Swedish dentists had access to panoramic techniques and that 84% used a direct digital sensor, while 6% used storage phosphor plate techniques. Around 8% of the Swedish dentists had access to CBCT. It was also observed that group practices had two times higher odds of having panoramic equipment compared with solo practices. Approximately 40% of the dentists had undergone postgraduate education in oral radiology during the last 5 years. Dental nurses and dental hygienists exposed 92% of the panoramic radiographs and 75% of the CBCTs. Thirty per cent of those clinics with access to a panoramic unit exposed >30 panoramic radiographs per month and 56% of the clinics having access to CBCT did more than 75 examinations per year.Conclusions: Today 61% of Swedish dentists have access to panoramic radiography and 8% have access to CBCT. There is a greater likelihood of having access if the dentist works in the public dental health service or in a group practice and if the dentist has undergone any postgraduate course in oral radiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study aims to gain knowledge about the dentist's use and choice of digital intraoral imaging methods.Materials and Methods: A questionnaire sent to 2481 dentists within the Swedish Dental Society contained questions about the type of X-ray technique used, problems experienced with digital radiography, and reasons for choosing digital technology, and about indications, clinic size and type of service. Response rate was 53%.Results: Ninety-eight percent of the dentists had made the transition to digital radiography; only 2% used film technique, and solid-state detector (SSD) was the most used digital technique. More years in service decreases the likelihood of applying individual indications for performing a full mouth examination. More retakes were done with SSDs compared to storage phosphor plates. Reasons for choosing digital techniques were that work was easier and communication with the patients improved. However, dentists also experienced problems with digital techniques, such as exposure and projection errors and inadequate image quality. The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority states that all radiological examinations should be justified, something not always followed.Conclusions: This study showed that 98% of the respondents, Swedish dentists within the Swedish Dental Society, used digital techniques, and the most used was the solid-state technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A trend towards the state governance of healthcare through quality indicators and national clinical guidelines has been observed, and it is argued that this trend can be a challenge to the autonomy of healthcare professionals. In Sweden, these regulatory tools have been implemented in combination with subsidies for adult dental care that are based on guideline recommendations which serve to ensure that dental care is evidence-based and cost-effective. This paper aims to analyse the implications of these changes regarding dentists' autonomy and whether the government's political intentions can be fulfilled.Material and Methods: The paper is based on documents from government authorities and professional theories.Results: The financial control over Swedish dental care has been strengthened, and it can be argued that this is a step in the right direction from a societal point of view, as public resources are limited. Dentists' professional autonomy with their patients is not affected, which is appropriate, as patients should be treated according to their individual needs and expectations.Conclusions: This article shows that the state's governance does not directly detail dentists' work, which indicates a balance between state governance and dentists' autonomy. However, further research is required to get knowledge on Swedish dentists' view of the governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2009 contract dental care was introduced into Sweden's Public Dental Service under a programme called Dental Care for Health ( DCH). Previous research has revealed a possible dilemma whereby dental care professionals had the role of insurance agent foisted upon them, as they were assigned the task of 'selling contracts'. Using qualitative interviews, this study explores how these professionals make sense of contract dental care today. Drawing on the concepts of occupational and organisational professionalism, in combination with the institutional logics perspective, we discern that dental care professionals are entangled in multiple rationalities when reasoning about and dealing with DCH. A professional logic comes into play over health issues and preventive care, while market and corporate logics are present in relation to selling contracts and taking responsibility for the financial aspects of DCH, all of which creates tensions in these professionals. Overall, dental care professionals in the welfare sector respond both to an organisational and an occupational professionalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: By 2023, fewer dentists are expected in Sweden, at the same time as the demand for dental care is expected to increase. Older people, in particular, are expected to require more dental health than previous generations. To meet this demand, the public sector dentistry in Sweden is moving towards changes in division of labour among dental professionals, including dentists, dental hygienists and dental nurses. However, the impact of this reallocation on the physical and psychosocial wellbeing of employees is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare workplaces with an equal or larger proportion of dental hygienists than dentists (HDH) with workplaces with a larger proportion of dentists than dental hygienists (HD) on the physical and psychosocial work load, musculoskeletal and psychosomatic disorders and sickness presence.Material: A total of 298 persons employed in the Public Dental Service in a Swedish County Council participated in this study.Conclusion: The medium large clinics HDH reported 85% of employee's with considerably more high psychosocial demands compared to employees in medium HD (53%) and large HD (57%). Employees in medium large clinics HDH also reported sleep problems due to work (25%) compared with employees in medium large clinics HD (6%), large clinics HD (11%) and small clinics HDH (3%). Clinic size does not seem to influence the outcome of the HD and HD clinics to any great extent. Of all employees, about 94-100% reported high precision demands and 78-91% poor work postures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the self-perceived level of knowledge, attitudes and clinical experience in treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) among general practising dentists (GPDs).Material and Methods: A web-based questionnaire was sent to all GPDs in the public dental health service in the County of Uppsala in 2010 (n = 128) and 2014 (n = 113). The GPDs were asked to answer questions in the following categories: Demographic information, Quality assurance, Clinical experience and treatment, Need for specialist resources in the field of TMD and Attitudes. Between the two questionnaires, the GPDs were offered TMD education and an examination template including three TMD questions was introduced in the computer case files. The results were also compared with a previous questionnaire from 2001.Results: The response rate was 71% (2010) and 73% (2014). The majority of the GPDs were women (70% in 2010 and 72% in 2014). The reported frequency of taking a case history of facial pain and headache increased between 2010 and 2014. In 2014, the GPDs were more secure and reported higher frequency of good clinical routines in treatment with jaw exercises and pharmacological intervention compared to 2001. Interocclusal appliance was the treatment with which most dentists felt confident and reported good clinical routines.Conclusions: The GPDs felt more insecure concerning TMD diagnostics, therapy decisions and treatment in children/adolescents compared to adults. There is a high need for orofacial pain/TMD specialists and a majority of the GPDs wants the specialists to offer continuing education in TMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Swedish Dental Journal is the property of Swedish Dental Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Swedish Dental Journal is the property of Swedish Dental Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present study investigates the dental work in terms of time distribution and mechanical exposure in value-adding work (VAW) and non-VAW. Further rationalisation of dental work would typically involve an increase in the proportion of VAW. Information on mechanical exposure within the classes of VAW and non-VAW may be used to predict possible implications of rationalisation. Sixteen dentists were investigated. Using a data logger, postures and movements were continuously recorded for each subject during the 4 h of work, which included the 45 min of video recording. Time distribution and mechanical exposure for the six different work activities identified were evaluated from the video recordings, using a loss analysis technique. VAW, which comprised 54% of the total working time, generally implied significantly more constrained mechanical exposures as compared with non-VAW. The results suggest that future rationalisation of dental work, involving a reduction of non-VAW, may increase the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. Statement of Relevance: The present study illustrates the potential effects of rationalisation on biomechanical exposures for dentists. The results highlight the significance of integrating ergonomic issues into the rationalisation process in dentistry in addition to ordinary workstation and tool design improvements performed by ergonomists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the new study programme in Dentistry, an obligatory mentor programme was introduced during autumn 2005 for all student dentists at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. The aim of the programme is to provide support and guidance for the students in their professional role as dentists. All mentors in the programme are licenced dentists and lecturers at the Department of Dental Medicine. The mentors follow three to five mentees throughout the entire 5 year programme. This study aims to evaluate the programme from the mentors' perspective and to explore the perceived effects of being a mentor. Following an exploratory focus group, questionnaires were distributed to all mentors (n = 66, response rate 83%). The results of the evaluation of the programme show that being a mentor is perceived to be rewarding in many different ways, including an increased understanding of the students' situation and some professional development as a teacher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Swedish Dental Journal is the property of Swedish Dental Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Swedish Dental Journal is the property of Swedish Dental Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ståhlnacke K, Söderfeldt B, Unell L, Halling A, Axtelius B. Changes over 5 years in utilization of dental care by a Swedish age cohort. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2005; 33: 64–73.© Blackwell Munksgaard, 2005The purpose of this study was to investigate the temporal development of the utilization of dental care, in relation to socio-economic factors and also considering perceived oral health, attitudes to dental care, dental anxiety, care organisation and changes in the way that dental care is paid for. A conflict model was used as a theoretical framework.In 1992, a mail questionnaire was sent to all 50-year-old persons in two counties in Sweden,Örebro andÖstergötland, as part of a cross-sectional study. This study group numbered 8888 persons. In 1997, the same population was sent a new questionnaire. There were 5363 persons who completed the questionnaire in both 1992 and 1997. Changes in utilization of dental care were analysed.An increase in personal expenditure for care was obvious, 42% paid more in 1997 compared with 1992. In the study, 7% had prolonged their time since most recent visit and 12% had less frequent visits. In regression models, education, occupation, place of residence, country of birth, marital status, gender, dental anxiety, having poor perceived oral health and poor general health were associated with utilization. Care organisation factors showed there was a greater probability of having higher utilization and higher cost of care when private practitioners provided the care.Small changes in the utilization of dental care occurred during this study time. Inequality in utilization existed and socio-economic factors affected utilization as well as health perception and dental anxiety. Changes in the cost of care did not affect utilization appreciably, probably because of a selected population with high price elasticity. Having a private care provider compared with one in the public system affected the probability of having higher utilization and higher cost for care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article profiles dentist Jan Wennström of Sweden. He is currently professor and chair of the Department of Periodontology at the Institute of Odontology in Sweden. He was the director for the postgraduate program in Periodontology and the Clinic of Periodontics at the Dental School in Göteborg University. His primary research focus are in the areas of epidemiology and treatment of periodontal diseases.

The article profiles dentist Tomasi Cristiano. Cristiano obtained his degree in dentistry at Göteborg University in Sweden. He received the First Prize for Graduate Research from the European Federation of Periodontology in 2004. Cristiano also maintains a private practice in Trento, Italy since 1992.

The article presents information on a study that focuses on protecting children's teeth. In this study, 1,567 four-year-old Swedish children showed that the most important factors for the prevention of caries and gingivitis were: (1) infrequent between-meal eating, (2) toothbrushing with help from the parents, and (3) oral administration of fluoride at an early age. Sweden is now setting up all over the country, within the Child Health Service, an efficient program for dental health. In this program, the dentist will first meet the parents when the child is five to six months old, and will examine and treat the teeth once or twice a year thereafter.