The aim of this study was to examine nursing personnel’s knowledge about oral health care and attitudes towards the free assessment of the oral status done by the dental service for elderly and handicapped persons in a municipality in the south part of Skåne, and also how personnel experience the free assessment of the oral status done by the dental service and how it functioned at the facilities. The study was carried out by sending out 150 questionnaires to nursing personnel at six special housing facilities. 73% (110 personnel’s) answered the questionnaires. The results of the study indicate that the nursing personnel had good knowledge in oral health care and they felt that they had good practical and theoretical knowledge in oral health care. They considered that the free assessment of the oral status at the nursing homes done by the dental service was important and 57 % thought it was excellent carried out. However 40 % of the nursing personnel were not satisfied with the frequency of visits from the dental service.