Adolescents' experiences of a two-year oral health intervention programme in two Swedish secondary schools.

OBJECTIVES: To describe adolescents' experiences of participating in a school-based oral health intervention programme for 2 years containing education about oral health and fluoride varnish treatment at the school clinic. METHODS: Sixteen adolescents aged 13-16 were interviewed in three focus group sessions. A phenomenographic approach was used for analysis. RESULTS: The results are presented as three themes and seven descriptive categories. The three themes were 'Seeing the dental hygienist', 'Treatments at the dental hygiene clinic' and 'Education about oral health in class'. The results demonstrate satisfaction with the intervention, such as accessibility, time gain and expanding knowledge. On the other hand, feelings of vulnerability in the treatment sessions were expressed. The fluoride varnish treatment was given both positive and negative reviews. The contact between the participants and the dental hygienist was important, and the opportunity to ask questions about oral health issues was emphasized. CONCLUSIONS: Both positive and negative experiences of the programme were found. Adolescence is a transitional period of life, and for this reason, it is important to create a good working alliance between students and the dental hygienist in future school-based oral health interventions.