Objectives: The aim was to explore health oriented resources among 19-year olds and in specific how these health oriented recourses interacts with oral health related attitudes and behaviors.Methods: Participants, 19-year olds living in Jönköping, were strategically selected in connection with the annual examination at the Public Dental Service. A structured questionnaire included background factors and Antonovsky´s 13-items Life-orientation questionnaire measuring ‘Sense of coherence’ (SOC), followed by a thematized in-depth interview. The qualitative method chosen was Grounded Theory (GT). In accordance with GT, datasampling and analyses is performed in a parallel procedure that continues until new data do not bring anything vital into the analysis model. Nine informants (four women) have so far been included in the study.

Preliminary results: The preliminary analysis model suggests a core category labeled ‘Resources of Wealth and Balance in Life’ which seemed to be essential for healthy choices influencing oral health related attitudes and behaviors. This core category is built on five interrelated themes describing different dimensions of health related recourses. Security and support from family and friends, internal resources such as self-efficacy but also different strategies to coop with everyday life were highlighted as central resources.  Values and expectation within life context, your own experience and needs but also thoughts about future oral health conditions, were important for motivation towards healthy choices. Moreover, availability to community resources such as supermarkets, opportunity for self-cooking and a healthy diet, but also health messages from media, school and dental care as well as the psychosocial environment were described as influencing factors for healthy choices.  Conclusions: The interplay between different external and internal resources were described as essential for healthy choices and oral health. Focusing on such beneficial resources could be a success factor in prevention and oral health promotion strategies.