Oral health education in Finnish schools

The public system of oral health care in Finland, as in the other Nordic countries, is responsible for arranging oral health education for school classes. In this study the coverage and the personnel implementing these lessons in Finnish schools were assessed. A questionnaire was sent to all health centers (n = 214). The response rate was 87%. A total of over 23,000 oral health lessons were arranged in schools during the year studied. Coverage was high in primary schools, lower in secondary schools and lower still in high schools. The main implementers of the lessons were dental assistants. The conclusions of the study were: 1) coverage of teenagers should be increased, 2) the role of dental hygienists and dentists in implementing the program should be greater, and 3) oral health personnel and teachers should cooperate more actively.