Developing health-related smartphone applications for oral health education should consider the end-user's perspectives to ensure they will be usable. This study aimed to explore the opinions of secondary school students in Selangor, Malaysia regarding the use of a smartphone application for oral health education and to identify the features for an oral health education smartphone application from the perspectives of adolescents. Focus group discussions were conducted among Form Two (14-year-old) and Form Four (16-year-old) students from selected government secondary schools in Selangor utilising a semi-structured topic guide until data saturation was achieved. Data were analysed using framework analysis. Ten focus group discussions were conducted involving 77 participants. Mixed opinions were recorded on the use of health-related smartphone applications for oral health education. The preferred features in a health-related smartphone application are disease detection, have games and rewards, educational and fun, access to a dentist, reminders, and user-friendliness. Adolescents are aware of the positive aspect of using health-related smartphone applications for oral health education; however, they are wary of the need to install one. Nevertheless, identifying adolescents’ preferred features of an oral health education app is the first step in developing an application tailored to their needs. Smartphone application could be a timely strategy to improve oral health education delivery and behaviour improvement for this age group.

Background: The Malaysian School Dental Service (SDS) was introduced to provide systematic and comprehensive dental care to school students. The service encompasses promotive, preventive, and, curative dental care. This study aimed to undertake a process evaluation of the SDS based on the perspectives of government secondary school students in Selangor, Malaysia. Methods: The study adopted a qualitative approach to explore the opinions of secondary school students on the SDS implementation in their schools. Data from focus group discussions involving Form Two (14-year-olds) and Form Four (16-year-olds) students from the selected schools were transcribed verbatim and coded using the NVivo software before framework method analysis was conducted. Results: Among the strengths of the SDS were the convenience for students to undergo annual oral examination and dental treatment without having to visit dental clinics outside the school. The SDS also reduced possible financial burdens resulting from dental treatment costs, especially among students from low-income families. Furthermore, SDS helped to improve oral health awareness. However, the oral health education provided by the SDS personnel was deemed infrequent while the content and method of delivery were perceived to be less interesting. The poor attitude of the SDS personnel was also reported by the students. Conclusion: The SDS provides effective and affordable dental care to secondary school students. However, the oral health promotion and education activities need to be improved to keep up with the evolving needs of the target audience.