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Background: In the Nordic countries, discussion on redistribution of clinical tasks between dentists and dental hygienists continues intensely., Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse Nordic dental hygienists' willingness to perform new treatment measures as well as their perceived barriers and facilitators to carrying out such measures., Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among a representative sample of dental hygienists in Finland and Norway (n=1733). The questionnaires enquired whether the dental hygienists were willing to provide 25 given treatment measures beyond those involved in their current practice. The chi-square test and linear regression served for the statistical analyses., Results: The dental hygienists worked predominantly (62%) in the public sector in both countries. A majority (67%) of the dental hygienists agreed that they fully used their professional skills in their current clinical work. In addition to their daily activities, high percentages of the dental hygienists reported a willingness to carry out 'more often than now' procedures related to orthodontics (59%), local anaesthesia (59%), clinical photographing (58%), glass-ionomer fillings (57%), composite fillings (51%), and tooth bleaching (47%). The most frequently reported barrier was the dental hygienists' perceived competency (39%). Additionally, the dental hygienists identified the homogeneity of their current patient group (32%) and the traditional manner of delegating tasks in their workplaces (31%) as barriers to carrying out up to date clinical treatment measures. The dental hygienists' working community had a significant effect on their willingness to carry out new treatment measures (p<0.05)., Conclusion: Our study indicates that dental hygienists desire to perform more clinical treatment measures than their current daily activities entail, but their self-perceived competency was insufficient to carry out such measures. Consequently, changes in dental hygienists' training programmes to provide hygienists with sufficient skills and confidence to perform up to date clinical treatments are required., (© 2010 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2010 Nordic College of Caring Science.)

Aim: The aim was to compare the working profiles of Finnish and Norwegian dental hygienists in public and private practice. To this end, we compared the procedures performed, the type of patients and the time devoted to different tasks., Subjects and Methods: A questionnaire survey was originally conducted among a representative sample of dental hygienists in Finland (n = 595) and all authorized dental hygienists in Norway (n = 1,138) in 2004. The questionnaires collected data on the dental hygienists' age, gender, year of graduation, working experience, work sector (private or public), working time spent on different activities and patient groups. The questionnaire also assessed how frequently the dental hygienists performed 25 different treatment measures., Results: The Norwegian dental hygienists spent 45.4% of their clinical time on check-ups, whereas the Finns spent 49.9% of their time scaling. Dental hygienists in Finland and Norway working in the public sector spent 42.9% and 74.6% of their working time dealing with children and youth respectively., Conclusions: The working profiles of dental hygienists in Finland and Norway were quite similar, although differences in distribution by activities, type of patients and treatment measures do exist. The main activity of the dental hygienists was clinical work. The most commonly practised clinical activity among Finnish dental hygienists was scaling, and among Norwegians, check-ups. Public dental hygienists in both countries dealt mainly with children and youths. Oral hygiene instruction was the most commonly reported treatment measure among both Finns and Norwegians.

In most but not all the Nordic countries, the National Boards of Health have issued guidelines governing the utilization of fluoride. The purpose of this paper is to outline the process of policy formation, describe the current fluoride guidelines in the Nordic countries, and discuss compliance with and appropriateness of the guidelines. The fluoride guidelines summarize current knowledge and make recommendations on choice of fluoride preparations (supplements, toothpaste, and varnish) and doses. Fluoride policies in the Nordic countries in the late 1990s state that use of fluoride toothpaste twice a day is the preferred and sufficient source of fluoride for the majority of the population. The policies of the Nordic countries are similar, but there are differences, some of them self-explanatory others not so obvious. In the case of supplements, for example, there are differences in the recommended dosage schedules. In the case of toothpaste, it is unclear what concentrations of fluoride are recommended both for children and for adults. Starting time for the use of fluoride, whether toothpaste or supplements, varies between countries. The clinicians' compliance with fluoride guidelines has not been systematically evaluated. Comparing the advice and treatments offered by dentists in the Nordic countries with current guidelines suggests that national policies influence the practice of clinicians. For government policy to be appropriate, it is imperative that the guidelines are based on sound scientific evidence. It is thus concluded that if nonevidence-based elements are included in national guidelines, this should be clearly stated to prevent confusion and enhance compliance from professionals and the public.