This study investigated a Swedish version of the 12 item General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). The aim was to validate the translated instrument, and to investigate factors that may influence the GOHAI score. Consecutive samples at eight dental clinics in Göteborg, Sweden were asked to answer the GOHAI, the short form of Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and a questionnaire including socio-demographic, general health and oral health questions. 153 patients (50-89 yrs old) out of 237 (65%) returned the questionnaires. The most commonly reported problem (GOHAI) was 'worried or concerned' due to problems related to oral health (48%), followed by 'unhappy with the appearance of teeth, gums, or dentures' (36%) and 'teeth sensitive to hot, cold, or sweets' (33%). The Cronbach's Alpha (0.86) indicated a high degree of internal consistency and homogeneity between items. Item-scale correlations varied between 0.50 and 0.83. Strong relations were found between depressed GOHAI-scores and dental problems (mobile teeth, number of teeth, dentures). The correlation between the GOHAI score and the OHIP-14 was high (-0.83) indicating good construct validity. Also 'perceived general health' and 'satisfaction with life-situation' and dental status were significantly, but less strongly, correlated with the patient's GOHAI score. In a linear regression analysis, age,'perceived general health' and dental status (number of teeth in lower jaw and mobile teeth) were found to have a significant effect on the GOHAI score. Factor analysis of GOHAI indicated a two-factor solution and did not support the theoretical construction reported of the index. The test-re-test reliability was assessed in a separate sample (members of a physical handicap organization, n = 47) and the correlation coefficient for the GOHAI was 0.64. For individual items, the weighted kappa coefficient varied between 0.25 and 0.80. In conclusion, the Swedish version of the GOHAI showed acceptable reliability and validity.