Digital steps in oral health care
I work in oral health care and did my thesis for the Wellbeing Services County of Southwest Finland (Varha). In my thesis, I used a survey to study how well Varha’s oral health care workers can use digital health services in their work and what kind of training they might need.
The results showed that employees use digital health services somewhat in their daily work. About 88% said they understand data protection and information security well or fairly well. 62% said digital health skills are important or quite important in their job. Almost half (48%) felt they can use digital tools to support patients’ self-care and overall well-being. However, around 40% said they don’t know how to work well in digital environments with patients.
My thesis is very current. After COVID-19, digital services entered social and health care quickly. Oral health care has traditionally been seen as a hands-on field where digital tools don’t fit easily. But things have changed. Digital tools and services are now used in oral health care, though we still need to learn how to use them better.
For patients to use digital health services, professionals must be able to guide them. This means more training is needed, and workers should be encouraged to learn about the benefits of digital tools.
Meeting patients online is harder, because we are not used to it. We need to practice digital communication and get training in it. It’s important to meet patients with empathy—even online—and to make sure they feel heard. As health centers are closing and travel distances are growing, remote appointments and chat services will become more common. Professionals need new tools to help them work with patients who are not physically in the same place. In oral health care, the journey toward digitalization is just beginning.
Data Protection and GDPR
Europe has one of the world’s strictest data protection laws—GDPR. It protects people’s personal information. Based on my thesis, workers in oral health care know data protection rules well. I believe our employer has given us strong training in these areas. From my experience, I think workers in Finnish health- and socialcare are very good at protecting patient data.
Of course, data breaches can still happen. A good example is the 2018–2019 data breach at the psychotherapy center Vastaamo. That incident started a national conversation in Finland about cybersecurity, identity theft, and how personal ID numbers are used. Many people realized how serious it can be if sensitive information is leaked online. I believe the Vastaamo case pushed many public- and private organizations to check their own data practices. I also believe that something like that is less likely to happen again in Finland.
ChatGPT and AI in Professional Use
I love listening to podcasts, and I first heard about ChatGPT in early 2023. I signed up and tried it, but at that time I didn’t really see how useful it could be, so I stopped using it.
A year later, when more people started talking about ChatGPT, I logged in again. I had read tips on how to use it better. I was surprised at how helpful it was—for searching information, planning schedules, organizing trips, and brainstorming ideas.
I asked ChatGPT how it could be used in oral health care, and the answers were great. For example, it can help translate dental texts, write reports, create instructions, and give aftercare advice for patients. I also asked if digital health tools should be developed more in oral health care. ChatGPT gave an interesting answer: dentists should use more AI to help analyze dental images.
I think ChatGPT is a great tool, but it shouldn’t be trusted 100%. We should always double-check the information and find scientific sources when needed. But for new ideas and creative thinking, it’s a very useful assistant.
The Future of Digitalization
I’m studying digitalization in health and social care, and during my studies I’ve thought a lot about how digital tools will change our society and workplaces. These thoughts were also part of this assignment.
I see more opportunities than risks in digitalization. I trust the EU’s laws and GDPR protection. I believe we will keep improving how we protect privacy. One problem is that people often don’t understand how much data they’re sharing. This is especially true for young people. I’ve learned a lot, and now I’m more careful about protecting my own privacy. I found Europe’s Digital Decade: digital targets for 2030 very interesting to read, and it’s great to see that the EU puts people and their rights first. Companies must follow the laws in order to operate within the EU, which shows that protecting citizens is a top priority.
I believe humanity is taking two steps forward and one step back as we move through digital change.
I commented these blocks:
Hi,
Your post was very interesting, and many things sounded very familiar to me. I work as a nurse at a health center, and digitalization has been steadily increasing in our work. Elderly clients often need a lot of help using their mobile phones, and most of them don’t even want to try using the digital clinic for their appointments. They prefer face-to-face interactions with a nurse. Of course, this isn’t always possible, which often leads to frustration.
My workplace is located in a wellness center, where dental care services are also offered. They have their own system for patients and no reception desk. That´s why you always have to call them. As a result, clients often come to the health center’s desk with dental care matters and are very disappointed when they realize they can’t handle their issues there. We often receive complaints about this, even though it isn’t our responsibility.
I really hope that as digitalization continues to grow, we will also take into account those who are not able to use these systems.
Hi Niina, I liked your post! It was super interesting to hear how digitalization is slowly making its way into oral health care. I never really thought about how hard it might be to move such a hands on job into the digital world. You made a really good point about how important it is to train workers so they can actually help patients use the new tools, I also come from healthcare so your writing makes total sense. Also, it was cool how you talked about your experience with ChatGPT, I agree, it’s a great tool for ideas, but you definitely can’t trust it blindly. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us 🙂