The Public Dental Service in Sweden: An Interview Study of Chief Dental Officers

The aim of this study was to investigate how the Public Dental Service (PDS) in Sweden has managed to maintain a market position at a time of change in political ideologies and increased competition from a growing private sector.

All Chief Dental Officers (CDOs), who had held this leading position for at least 5 years (n = 22), were asked to participate in a semi-structured telephone interview. Sixteen of the 22 CDOs participated in this study. The questions were sent by mail in 2014 before the telephone interviews, which were audiotaped, transcribed and analyzed using a qualitative analytical approach. Since this was a quality study with just few participants, no statistical analysis was carried out.

All the CDOs answered that they had influenced outcomes through brand building and core value work, related to both patients and employees, and to a lesser extent through competitor analysis. Some CDOs had a slightly different approach to the way they described visions, strategies and short-term goals. They used more business-oriented concepts, such as customers, market shares, and profits. Most CDOs regarded their actions as important for the successful development of their organization.

The PDS appears to have a stable, strong position in the Swedish dental care market, and a great deal of effort has been put into consolidating this position.