Swedish Fellow Contributes to Dental Hygiene Classes

By Rachel Kearney, ’05 BSDH, ’07 MS

Associate Professor and Chair, Division of Dental Hygiene

During the autumn semester, Division of Dental Hygiene students' curriculum was enhanced by the contributions of international fellow Ulrika Lindmark, PhD, who came to the College of Dentistry as part of The Ohio State University's partnership with the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT). Dr. Lindmark joined the division from her position as an associate professor in Oral Health Sciences at the School of Health and Welfare at Jönköping University in Sweden. With a diploma in dental hygiene from Halmstead University in Halmstead, Sweden; bachelor's and master's degrees in public health sciences; and a PhD in oral health sciences from Jönköping University in Småland, Sweden, Dr. Lindmark has extensive experience in teaching and research and focuses her work on the social determinants of health, particularly from a salutogenic (healthy) perspective. 

Dr. Lindmark contributed to a dental hygiene course in the BSDH and BS degree completion programs covering oral health behavior change, enhancing the content on social determinants of health and behavior change theory. In addition to using her expertise in determinants of health and the preventative approach to disease management to enhance the Dental Hygiene curriculum, Dr. Lindmark shared with the division information about the profession of dentistry in Sweden and how it compares to dentistry in the United States. 

Having an international fellow through the STINT program allowed dental hygiene students to learn about dentistry from a global perspective. For example, first-year College of Dentistry dental hygiene students had the opportunity to learn about sleep apnea from a Swedish doctoral candidate through a virtual connection in the classroom.

Although Dr. Lindmark has returned to Sweden to assume a new teaching role at Jönköping University, the Division of Dental Hygiene looks forward to future collaborations with her and her international colleagues. 

The Student Becomes the Teacher

While Swedish educator Dr. Ulrika Lindmark was sharing her expertise with College of Dentistry students during the autumn semester, she was also learning about the differences between dental hygiene education in America versus what she is used to at home. Attracted to the College of Dentistry because of the college's focus on educating dental hygiene students alongside dental students, Dr. Lindmark came to Ohio State "to see the similarities and differences in how we reach our goals." One notable difference she observed is how dental hygiene students are taught to check vitals on patients, which is not currently done in Sweden. She also observed more flexibility than she's used to in the college's syllabus, calling it a "living document" and observing how it can change quickly based on the emerging needs of the profession. Dr. Lindmark's most interesting insights have come more informally—from the conversations she's had with the people of Ohio State. "I'm so grateful for the College of Dentistry having me. This has been a great experience and a real pleasure."