To the content

The average waiting time is 9 months. Waiting times by municipality can be found below.

Queuing times for non-urgent treatment in dental health care 1.3.2024

According to the new Health Care Act, Wellbeing Services Counties are, as of September 1, 2023, obligated to monthly publish information on how the prescribed maximum waiting times for access to care have been maintained. Please note that the figures in THL’s report are not yet entirely reliable, the content of the report is under development.

You can find the Wellbeing Services County of Ostrobothnia’s own information on waiting times for dental care here:

  • Pietarsaari 10 mos
  • Pedersöre 10 mos
  • Luoto 10 mos
  • Uusikaarlepyy 7 mos
  • Mustasaari 12 mos
  • Vöyri 10 mos
  • Vaasa 16 mos
  • Laihia 18 mos
  • Maalahti 5 mos
  • Närpiö 3 mos
  • Kristiinankaupunki 1 mo

Patients currently booking new non-urgent times will be queued and notified of an appointment later. The time limits for the care guarantee are exceeded due to the coronavirus pandemic. Steps have been taken to remedy this situation.

During the oral and dental examination, the expert assesses the adequacy and quality of self-care in addition to oral health. An individual treatment plan is drawn up during the check-up, which defines the need for and implementation of treatment and the time of the next check-up. The treatment plan is based on the need for treatment and commits the patient to taking care of their own oral health.

Early access to treatment at the onset of symptoms, as well as preventive and early-stage treatment, help prevent and stop oral disease as a result of self-care and specialist care. Correcting a situation at an early stage is often easier and less expensive.

Families expecting a child have the opportunity to a free oral health counselling visit, arranged by the clinic. Ways to promote and maintain oral and dental health will be discussed during the visit. The pregnancy waiting period is a good time to get information about maintaining the health of the future child. Good oral and dental self-care protects the oral and dental health of the child and the parents. The visit does not include an individual oral check-up, which is a paid service. Oral and dental care is subject to a fee.
An oral hygienists will also talk about oral health during family coaching sessions for expectant families.

Periodic examinations for children under school age are at 1, 3 and 5 years of age.

The children’s parents and guardians are informed about periodic oral health check-ups as follows:

1st grade, 3rd grade, 5th grade and 8th grade.

If necessary, a school child will be invited for dental visits according to an individual treatment plan.

Dental health care is part of school health care, so oral and dental care is usually provided during the school day. Parents of school children in the lower grades in particular are expected to attend the check-up visit. In this way, issues related to the child’s oral health also come to the attention of the parents.

Parents of children are responsible for their child’s dental visits. It is important that carers also consider road safety if the child comes to the dental clinic alone.

If the child does not arrive for a dental check-up, the home will be contacted. The reason for the absence will be investigated according to the contact.

If an underage child has repeated absences from dental care, this can be considered a neglect of the care of the child. According to Government Decree (6.4.2011 / 338), a professional care provider has a legal obligation to report the matter to social services.

An dental health check-up is arranged for the student once during the study period, where the need for oral health counselling and services is determined. The student must book a time for an dental health check-up.

17-year-old students in secondary school (Vocational School / upper secondary School) are invited for an dental health check-up. Those who study at other educational institutions or are spending an intermediate year elsewhere must make an appointment themselves. All pupils studying in the region can make an appointment for an dental health check-up. Pupils from outside the region must prove their right to study at an educational institution in the region with a valid student card.

Dental health check-ups and treatment measures are subject to fees from the day the pupil reaches the age of 18, in accordance with regulations.

Electronic bookings (Vaasa only)

The child’s guardians must book an appointment for the child to have a periodic check-up, either with a dental nurse or an oral hygienist.

  • Check your own appointment times and those of a child under the age of 15.
  • Cancel an existing dental appointment.
  • Move or cancel an existing appointment for an X-ray.
  • Book, postpone or cancel a regular check-up for children aged 1, 3 and 5.
  • Fill in / check your own preliminary information related to a reserved appointment or that of an under 15-year-old in your care.

You can fill in the preliminary information when you have a valid appointment. After filling in the form at the national appointment reservation service, the information is automatically transferred to the dental patient information system. A paper preliminary information form can still be filled in at dental clinics.

A time can be booked two weeks before the child’s month of birth or two weeks after the month of birth, for a total of two months.

Guardians can book periodic dental care check-ups for children under school age online with the guardian’s bank ID or mobile certificate.

If the appointment booking is not successful in the electronic service, make the appointment for dental care by telephone instead.

Electronic bookings