Perception of Tobacco Counseling and Cessation among Dental Practitioners

Perception of tobacco hazards on general and periodontal health and tobacco cessation counseling among dental students

INTRODUCTION

Tobacco use is one of the leading worldwide health risk factors and a primary cause of premature death and disability. Tobacco cessation programs might work well if provided by all healthcare providers. This study aimed to evaluate dental students' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices towards tobacco hazards on general and periodontal health and tobacco cessation councling.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among dental students who were in their clinical years (the fourth, fifth and sixth year of study), in Saudia Arabia in 2022. A self-administered questionnaire derived from the TCC questionnaire survey was carried out among 315 dental students. Knowledge was considered poor if correct answers were below the median value. Attitude was on a five-point Likert scale. Adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS

The study revealed that about 52% have poor knowledge, 64% have negative attitudes, 69% have negative beliefs, and 44% poor practice. All these ratings were below median values. It also showed that younger dental students were 2 times more likely to have poor knowledge (AOR=1.97; 95% CI: 1.1-3.53) and smokers were less likely to have poor knowledge (AOR=0.34; 95% CI: 0.12-0.95). One third of students perceived patient resistance as a barrier to TCC while 50% reported lack of knowledge, 32% lack of time, and 24% lack of materials.

CONCLUSIONS

The study findings urge the inclusion of programs to encourage dental students to help patients quit tobacco use and to make educational material available to them.

Dentists' perception of health-risk associated with cigarettes and alternative tobacco products: A descriptive study

Cigarettes and alternative tobacco products cause various oral health issues ranging from minor tooth decay/gum-diseases to oral cancer. According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), over 40% of adult cigarette smokers have untreated tooth decay which later leads to severe oral health problems. The present study intended to assess the impact of dentists' perceived risk of smoking tobacco products on their attitude and practice toward tobacco cessation advice. It was a cross-sectional study to collect data on the perception of dentists who are smokers, regarding smoking-related health risks. Dentists' attitude was measured using a questionnaire with a 5-point rating scale and a practice list of items with a 3-point rating scale. Descriptive/inferential techniques were applied, and a significance level was fixed at 5%. Among the 31 tobacco users, 80.6% of dentists perceived severe risk with cigarette use as compared to alternative tobacco products (71%). Positive attitude and good practice were observed among those who perceived severe risk; however, no statistical significance was observed (p-value >0.05). Young dentists, males, Arab nationals, highly educated and specialists had a positive attitude toward smoking cessation activities. Among the smokers, dentists recognize their role and responsibility very seriously in building a smoke-free community, but their risk perception and good attitude did not positively reflect on their clinical practice in smoking cessation programs. Though the dentists had a better perception and attitude towards smoking cessation, their clinical practice in offering advising sessions is inversely related to their perception/attitude.

Global Status of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Tobacco Cessation Interventions Among Dental Professionals: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

With the emergence of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, globally the use of tobacco has decreased notably, although, it still requires efforts at individual, organizational, community level to decrease the rate further. Dental professionals are at an excellent position to provide tobacco cessation counselling and interventions, however, it is not practiced much due to lack of training and lack of knowledge. Therefore, this systematic review was conducted to assess the global status of knowledge, attitude and practice on tobacco cessation interventions among dental professionals.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

A systematic search of 6 databases with no language restriction since 2000 was undertaken. Studies were included if they assessed knowledge, attitude and practice on tobacco cessation interventions among dental professionals using a validated or prevalidated tool. The data obtained for assessment of knowledge, attitude, practice, curriculum and barriers were represented through heatmaps. Quality assessment of the studies was done using Newcastle Ottawa scale.

RESULTS

Fifty six studies were included in this systematic review. Majority of the studies were found to be of moderate quality. Knowledge regarding the tobacco cessation interventions was more theoretical than practical. All the studies showed a favorable attitude among dental professionals towards tobacco cessation intervention.

CONCLUSION

The included studies lack homogeneity in assessing knowledge, attitude and practice on tobacco cessation interventions. The development and validation of a standardized questionnaire to assess knowledge, attitude and practice on tobacco cessation interventions could be a potentially effective way to uniformly gather data on the subject.

Tobacco Use and Cessation Counseling among Dental Professionals in Saudi Arabia

The study aimed to assess the prevalence of tobacco use among dental professionals and their attitudes and behaviors about tobacco cessation counseling in Saudi Arabia. A total of 359 male and female dental professionals participated in this cross-sectional study. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was administered among study participants by visiting dental hospitals and clinics in Saudi Arabia. In the study, 15.9% of the participants were current tobacco users and 50.4% had a tobacco user at home or the workplace. Most participants reported that tobacco use is associated with bad breath (88.9%), oral cancer (88.3%), dryness of the mouth (80.8%), and bad taste (79.9%). Most participants asked patients about their tobacco habits (86.6%), mentioned tobacco habits in patient records (71.3%), and explained the benefits of quitting tobacco (79.9%). Less than half the sample (47.1%) referred patients to tobacco quitting services/programs. Male gender (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 5.50, 95% CI 2.48−12.23, p < 0.001), having a tobacco user at home/the workplace (AOR 3.18, 95% CI 1.57−6.45, p 0.001), and believing that tobacco cessation counseling was a waste of time (AOR 2.32, 95% CI 1.13−4.76, p 0.021) were associated with significantly increased odds of tobacco use among dental professionals. The study concluded that tobacco use was common among dental professionals despite their awareness of the adverse effects of tobacco. Reduction in tobacco use and promotion of counseling skills among dental professionals should be achieved through public health measures.