Oral Public Health

Heikki Murtomaa, D.D.S., Ph.D., M.P.H.
Professor of Oral Public Health, Institute of Dentistry

Activities within the oral public health research group are executed within two research projects. The first project was designed to evaluate dentists’ professional activities both in Finland as well as in other countries. This project 'Dentist and health care services' originated in a national survey on occupational health hazards, following research on finger osteoarthritis among female dentists. Psychological stress, smoking and alcohol drinking among dental students is longitudinally being investigated as  part of a multinational study. In a bilateral development project the conceptions and practices of Mongolian dentists and dental students were surveyed. Under the auspices of the WHO, a study project assessing professional, activities including treatment decisions, practices and preventive measures by dentists and dental students for enhancement of high-quality care was initiated in Iran. This project also includes updating of local data on oral diseases. The second project 'Oral health promotion' was initiated by studying self-care and oral health among adult diabetics in Finland and currently also in Tehran. Adoption of healthy oral health habits is being studied among preadolescents in two different environments: Helsinki and Istanbul. Two school-based oral health programmes, including studies on the role of mothers of Iranian preadolescents, are being evaluated.

Ongoing research projects

• Oh-no-tobacco
• International postgraduate education at the Department of Oral Public Health