Tannhelsetjenestens kompetansesenter Øst

What Tannhelsetjenestens kompetansesenter Øst does

Tannhelsetjenestens kompetansesenter Øst (TkØ) is a regional dental competence center established in 2015 and headquartered at Sørkedalsveien 10a in Oslo, Norway. It is organized as a fylkeskommunalt oppgavefellesskap (municipal joint arrangement) under Chapter 19 of the Norwegian Municipal Act, with Østfold fylkeskommune serving as kontorfylkeskommune (administrative host) for the partnership between Akershus, Buskerud, Innlandet and Østfold county councils. TkØ operates four interconnected service pillars: specialist dental treatment across seven disciplines (pedodontics, periodontics, prosthetics, endodontics, radiology, oral surgery, and oral medicine) including treatment under general anesthesia and nitrous oxide sedation; the TOO program providing adapted dental care combined with cognitive behavioral therapy for torture/abuse survivors and patients with severe dental anxiety; competence-building programs (e-learning, group courses, webinars, practical clinical training and hospitations) for dental personnel across the region; and a research department covering forensic odontology, occupational health, elderly oral health, caries, children's oral health, and the HUNT4 dental health survey, supported by grants including approximately 40 million NOK from the Research Council of Norway in 2021. Approximately 60 staff are employed primarily by Østfold fylkeskommune (the administrative host) and serve referral patients, TOO patients, and dental personnel across the four-county region.

Revenue comes principally from annual county-government subsidies allocated by population across the four participating municipalities, supplemented by transactional course and training fees (240-1,000 NOK per participant depending on region) for e-learning, webinars, and practical clinical courses. The go-to-market model is sales-led and referral-based: public and private dentists, doctors, psychologists and other authorized healthcare personnel refer patients for specialist treatment, while self-referral is permitted for the TOO program. Marketing channels include professional dental publications (Tannstikka, Den Norske Tannlegeforenings Tidende), political events such as Arendalsuka, six-times-yearly newsletters, and conferences including Nordental. The center holds Miljøfyrtårn (Eco-Lighthouse) environmental certification (since 2019, recertified 2025), is directed by Hilde Vogt Toven, and is governed by a board chaired by Bente Bjerknes representing Buskerud fylkeskommune.

Name

Tannhelsetjenestens kompetansesenter Øst

Legal name

Tannhelsetjenestens kompetansesenter Øst – fylkeskommunalt oppgavefellesskap

Website

https://tkost.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

TkØ is a public regional dental competence center in Oslo serving Eastern Norway counties (Akershus, Buskerud, Innlandet, Østfold) with specialist dental treatment, TOO adapted-care for trauma and anxiety patients, professional training, and oral-health research, jointly funded by the four county councils.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public dental healthcare services

NAICS

Offices of Dentists (621210)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Family Dentistry (Multi-Disciplinary In-Office General Care) (HLABAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Prosthodontic & Restorative Group Practices (HLABAKAH), Periodontic & Implant Group Practices (HLABAKAF)

Keywords

• Specialist dental services
• Dental competence center
• Dental anxiety treatment
• Dental professional training
• Oral health research

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Specialist Dental Treatment Services: TkØ provides specialist dental treatments including endodontics, periodontics, prosthetics, pediatric dentistry, oral surgery, oral medicine, and radiology. Services are provided to patients referred through the public dental service system.
2. Government Funding: Annual subsidies from the participating county municipalities (Akershus, Buskerud, Innlandet, Østfold) based on population figures. TkØ is a public dental competence center funded through the county council system.
3. Course and Training Fees: TkØ generates revenue through educational programs including webinars (240-300 NOK), practical nitrous oxide equipment training (800-1000 NOK), and other professional development courses for dental personnel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TkØ provides specialist dental treatment across seven dental disciplines (pedodontics, periodontics, prosthetics, endodontics, radiology, oral surgery, oral medicine) to patients referred from public and private dental services in Eastern Norway. It also delivers the TOO adapted-care program for torture/abuse survivors and patients with severe dental anxiety, continuing-education and competency-building courses for dental professionals, and applied oral-health research including the LitOrally digital intervention.

Product overview

TkØ (Tannhelsetjenestens kompetansesenter Øst) is a regional odontological competence center organized as a county municipal cooperation between Akershus, Buskerud, Innlandet, and Østfold counties. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected healthcare and educational services organized around four core pillars: (1) Specialist Treatment - providing specialist dental services across seven specialties (pedodontics, periodontics, prosthetics, endodontics, radiology, oral surgery, oral medicine) plus anesthesia and nitrous oxide treatment; (2) TOO Program - adapted dental care for trauma/abuse victims and odontofobia patients; (3) Competence Building - professional development including e-learning, webinars, clinical attachments, and workshops for dental professionals; and (4) Research - academic research spanning forensic odontology, occupational health, elderly care, caries treatment, and oral health in children/young adults. The LitOrally digital intervention project bridges research and public education by providing oral health literacy content for young adults. All services operate from the Oslo location and serve the eastern Norway region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Spesialistbehandling (Specialist Treatment) Specialist dental treatment services across pedodontics, periodontics, prosthetics, endodontics, radiology, oral surgery, and oral medicine. Includes treatment under general anesthesia and nitrous oxide sedation. Provided to patients referred by dentists and other authorized healthcare personnel across Akershus, Buskerud, Innlandet, and Østfold.
• Tilrettelagt tannhelsetilbud - TOO (Adapted Dental Care) Adapted dental care program for individuals who have been subjected to torture, abuse/violence, or suffer from severe dental anxiety (odontofobi). Combines psychological support and cognitive behavioral therapy with dental treatment; patients may be referred by dentists, doctors, psychologists, or other health personnel, or self-refer.
• Kompetanseheving (Competence Building) Professional development and training services for dental health personnel including e-learning courses, practical clinical courses, research-oriented courses, group courses, webinars, hospitations, seminars, and workshops. Many courses are approved as continuing education by the Norwegian Dental Association (NTF).
• Forskning (Research) Applied research department staffed by researchers, PhD candidates, research coordinators, and project staff covering forensic odontology, occupational health, elderly oral health, caries treatment, children's oral health, the HUNT4 dental health survey, and TOO program research. Includes the LitOrally digital intervention project for young-adult oral health literacy.
• E-læringskurs (E-learning Courses) Online learning modules for dental professionals covering decontamination, mandatory reporting to child welfare, infection control, snus prevention, instrument knowledge, and periodontitis and general health.
• Hospitering (Clinical Attachment) Clinical attachment opportunities for dental professionals across specialties including anesthesiology, endodontics, surgery, pedodontics, periodontics, and prosthetics.
• Lunsjwebinar (Lunch Webinar Series) Short webinars for dental health personnel covering topics such as orthodontic screening, panoramic radiography, and communication skills with children. Priced at 240 NOK per participant for staff in the TkØ region and 300 NOK per participant from other regions.
• Practical nitrous oxide equipment training Practical clinical course in nitrous oxide equipment use for dental professionals, priced at 800 NOK per participant for staff in the TkØ region and 1,000 NOK per participant from other regions.
• Det gule heftet (The Yellow Booklet) Official pricing and fee schedule for dental treatment at TkØ, including regulations under the National Insurance Act and dental fee schedules.

Quantifiable outcome

• TkØ celebrated 10 years of operations in 2025 with significant contributions to dental research, education, and patient care in Eastern Norway

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Østfold Fylkeskommune (Østfold County Council)coreOthers · 1 January 2024Østfold County is the host/office county for TkØ. The center is organized as a municipal county joint responsibility under Chapter 19 of the Municipal Act, with Østfold handling administrative functions including HR, payroll, and organizational matters. The partnership enables TkØ to operate as a shared competence center for four counties.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Den norske tannlegeforening (NTF): Norwegian Dental Association — the national professional body that accredits TkØ's continuing education courses and represents Norway's dentists. Functions as an ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but shapes the regulatory and educational environment in which TkØ operates.
• Forsyth Institute: Non-profit dental and craniofacial research institute in the United States with limited direct clinical care but strong overlap with TkØ's research arm, particularly in oral-systemic health connections and dental public health research.
• Folkehelseinstituttet (FHI) - Oral Health Division: Norway's National Institute of Public Health conducts oral health epidemiology and policy research. Adjacent to TkØ through its role in oral health data (e.g., HUNT4 dental survey, which TkØ also contributes to) and national oral health policy rather than direct clinical care.

Broad incumbents

• Universitetet i Bergen - Det medisinske fakultet (odontologi): UiB's dental program provides specialist dental training and services in Western Norway. It overlaps with TkV but is comparable to TkØ on the combined university-dental clinic dimension, including specialist training and research.
• Universitetet i Oslo - Det odontologiske fakultet: UiO's Faculty of Dentistry is Norway's premier dental education, research, and specialist care institution, operating specialist clinics in Oslo. Overlaps with TkØ on specialty services (endodontics, periodontics, prosthetics) and research, though its mission centers on education and university dental training rather than regional referral services.
• Karolinska Institutet - Department of Dental Medicine: Sweden's leading academic dental institution, combining specialist clinical care, research, and PhD training. Comparable to TkØ through its combined role as a specialist dental provider, research hub, and competence developer.
• Eastman Dental Institute (UCL): London-based specialist dental and postgraduate training institute combining specialist clinical care with dental research. Comparable to TkØ through its integrated model of specialist treatment, research, and education for dental professionals.

Direct peers

• Tannhelsetjenestens kompetansesenter Vestland (TkV): TkV is the regional dental competence center for Western Norway (Vestlandet), organized under the same Norwegian public dental service framework as TkØ. It offers the same combination of specialist treatment, TOO program, research, and professional development, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Tannhelsetjenestens kompetansesenter Midt (TkM): TkM is the regional dental competence center for Central Norway (Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal). It mirrors TkØ's mandate across specialist dental services, TOO care, and competence development for the central Norway region.
• Tannhelsetjenestens kompetansesenter Nord-Norge (TkNN): TkNN serves Northern Norway with the same regional competence center mandate — specialist dental treatment, research, and TOO program delivery for the northern counties. Same institutional model, different geographic catchment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tko
• Facebookfacebook.com/tkost.no

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tannhelsetjenestens kompetansesenter Øst