The aim of the study was to examine the competence of dental hygienists among Clinic Director´s within the Public Dental Service and Private dentists in the county of Skåne . The study was quantitative and consisted of an electronic questionnaire sent out to all Clinic Directors in the county of Skåne. A total of five hundred and thirty eight questionnaires were sent out. The inclusion criteria were the Clinic directors who employed dental hygienists who had obtained their professional degree during the last four years. Twenty nine Clinic directors responded to the study.

The results showed that in general clinic directors are pleased and feel that dental hygienists are proficient in periodontology and dental caries diagnostics. There were two clinic directors who felt that dental hygienists should have more knowledge in the fields of endodontics and pedodontics.

The Clinic directors were asked if they wanted to add a certain skill or specialty to the competence of dental hygienists. Two of the clinic directors said that they would like to see dental hygienists be able to measure blood and sugar levels if needed.

In conclusion, this study shows that most of the clinic directors thought that the dental hygienists had good knowledge and skills within their operating range. The result of this study must be interpreted with caution because of the low response rate.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka vad klinikchefer inom Folktandvården i Region Skåne och Privattandläkarna i Skåne län ansåg om tandhygienistens kompetens. Studien var kvantitativ och bestod av en elektronisk enkät som skickades ut till samtliga klinikchefer inom Folktandvården och Privattandläkarna i Skåne län. Det skickades ut totalt 538 enkäter. Inklusionskriterierna var de klinikchefer som anställt en tandhygienist som tagit sin yrkesexamen under de senaste fyra åren. Tjugonio klinikchefer besvarade enkäten.

Resultatet av studien visade att klinikcheferna ansåg tandhygienisten kunnig inom parodontologi och kariesdiagnostik. Det var två klinikchefer som önskade att tandhygienisten skulle ha ökad kompetens inom endodonti och pedodonti.

Klinikcheferna fick svara på en fråga i enkäten om de önskade lägga till något i tandhygienistens kompetensområde och där svarade två klinikchefer att blodsocker- och blodtrycksmätning skulle ingå i tandhygienistens kompetensområde.

Slutsatsen av studien visar att merparten av klinikcheferna ansåg att tandhygienisterna hade bra kompetens inom sitt arbetsområde. På grund av låg svarsfrekvens måste reultatet tolkas med stor försiktighet.