Opinions among Norwegian dentists on specialization and/or general practice

abstract – Three special areas of dental practice are recognized by the Norwegian Dental Association: oral surgery, orthodontics, and periodontics. A representative, nationwide sample comprising 50 dentists in Norway was surveyed through personal interviews concerning opinions about specialists and further specialization. Two dentists in the sample were specialists, the remaining general practitioners. Two-thirds of this group thought that the specialization of dentistry would continue. Only 11 dentists, however, considered this development to be desirable. Every second stated nevertheless that there was a shortage of specialists, particularly orthodontists, in the district where they practiced. Most respondents had good experiences cooperating with specialists but they were against establishing new specialities; they were concerned about their own scope of activity. Some pointed out that it requires greater skill and ability to be a solo general practitioner in a rural district than to be an urban, centrally located specialist. However, only 13 dentists considered it right to make general practice a "specialty".