Background: Good oral health is fundamental to general health and well-being. Being in a dependent situation can result in lack of managing your own self-care which can lead to impaired oral health. Patients seem to be quite satisfied with their oral health but the assessment tool ROAG (Revised oral assessment guide) shows the opposite: that the oral standard is more inferior than the patients estimate. To ensure patients need of care, it is important to problematize and discuss oral health in the daily nursing care. Health personnel face dependent people in all kinds of health care. Registered nurses have the responsibility for nursing care and a role in leading the health personnel staff.

Aim: The aim of this study is to describe health personnel's experience of working with oral health.

Method: A literature-based study was performed with the analysis of seven qualitative articles.

Results: The result consists of two main themes and six subthemes. The first main theme describes conditions to provide oral health. The second main theme describe barriers to provide oral health. The subthemes of the first main theme describe knowledge and earlier experiences. The subthemes of the second main theme describe the different barriers; insufficient knowledge, lack of time and resources, lack of support and routines, intrusion on someone's private sphere. These themes describe the health personnel's experience, working with oral health.

Conclusion: The result shows that the health personnel need continuous education, clear routines and satisfactory resources. The oral cavity is seen as something private and it is easy to violate the patient's integrity.