Objectives: To investigate the recall of oral health knowledge and confidence by nursing personnel in special housing facilities for the elderly, three years after an education programme.

Design: A cross sectional design using a questionnaire.

Sample: All nursing personnel, a total of 2,901 subjects, in five municipalities in south-western Sweden; of whom 950 had attended the programme. The response rate was 67% (1930 subjects).

Intervention: An oral health education programme consisting of four one-hour lessons.

Results: The oral health education programme still had an effect on the participants' attitudes towards oral health three years later. When comparing the trained group (OHEP+) which attended the programme with those who did not have training (OHEP-), the perceived ability, opportunity and the knowledge of oral health were significantly better in the former group, p<0.01 Eurther, within the OHEP- group who did not attend the programme there was a significant difference in the perceived ability, opportunity and the knowledge of oral health between those with a higher level of health care education, p<0.01.

Conclusions: The effect of an oral health education programme on the participants' attitudes towards oral health persists at least for three years. The data indicate that trainees with a low level of health care education benefit most.