Client feedback on social and health services – Dental clinics

Clients are satisfied with the services they receive at dental clinics

According to the nationwide survey, clients at dental clinics are very satisfied with the quality of the services they received. Of the respondents, 97% felt that they received help when needed, and 98% felt safe during care.

The survey was conducted in November–December 2024, and responses were received from 17,500 customers.

Dental treatment related fear is taken seriously

One in five respondents found visiting dental care somewhat or very frightening. Despite this:

• 80% felt that dental treatment related fear was acknowledged at the appointment.
• 86% felt that pain related to treatment was taken into account and that necessary pain relief was provided.

In the open ended responses, particular emphasis was placed on the management of fear and pain, which are considered key factors in the customer experience. These aspects were also highlighted in the positive feedback given regarding the professional competence of the staff.

Acknowledging dental treatment related fear is important so that customers seek care in a timely manner. Based on the survey, the management of such fear in dental care is working well. Oral health affects general health in many ways, and problems should be treated early.

Urgent care receives praise

Of all survey responses, 24% related to urgent or emergency care. According to the results:

• Clients are largely equally satisfied with urgent and non urgent care.
• In urgent care, customers are often more satisfied with the flexibility and speed of appointment booking.
• In the open ended responses, urgent care received a great deal of positive customer feedback.

Room for improvement in access to information and access to care

The main development need concerns access to information about the costs of care.

Of the respondents, 20% felt that prices and payment arrangements were not explained clearly enough.

The open ended responses show that in some wellbeing service counties it is difficult to obtain an appointment for dental care. However, the situation is not uniform across all wellbeing service counties, and access to care varies regionally.

About the data in more detail

Summary view of the results of the dental clinic client feedback survey (in Finnish) 
Presentation of the results of the dental clinic client feedback survey 2024 (in Finnish) 

Description of the statistics

THL collects client feedback from client at dental clinics approximately every two years. Feedback is collected through client feedback surveys conducted by THL in cooperation with the wellbeing service counties. The previous survey was carried out at the end of 2024.