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Sammanfattning

The aim of the study was to investigate the attitudes among dentists and dental hygienists to the policy objective in Norway of delegating more dental work from dentists to dental hygienists. The survey shows that dentists spent only half of their total working hours on complex dental services, i.e. tasks that only dentists are skilled to undertake. Nearly 40 % of their time was spent on tasks that dental hygienists are qualified to perform: examinations, screening and basic treatments. Although most dentists agreed that more of their current work could - in principle - be delegated to dental hygienists, they do not prefer to reduce much of their own current activity of those work tasks that dental hygienists are qualified to perform. Dental hygienists would prefer to do relatively more basic treatments and fewer examinations and screening. The vast majority among dental hygienists supported the idea that they could be the entry point for dental services. Only two of ten dentists shared this opinion. The results suggest that there will not be major changes in the division of labour between dentists and dental hygienists in Norway, if dentists are to be held responsible for taking such initiatives.

MeSH