Attitude and practices among dentists and senior dental students in iran toward tobacco cessation as an effort to prevent oral cancer

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Oral health professionals are responsible in Iran for providing a brief tobacco cessation program to smoker patients. The aim of this study was to assess Iranian dental student and dentist practice, knowledge and attitudes toward smoking cessation programs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A valid and reliable self-administered questionnaire was designed and distributed to 150 dentists working in Isfahan-Iran and 60 dental students. Some questions were developed based on the expected 5A tobacco cessation protocol. Statements on attitudes focused on professional responsibility towards smoking cessation and its effectiveness. Chi-square, ANOVA, and t test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The cessation program in dental settings covers a small group of patients (18). Some 69.1 (n=96) of dentists reported asking their patients about tobacco use, 64 (n=83) advising their patients to quit, 33.8 (n=47) assessing their patients willingness to quit and 20 (n=28) reported helping their patients in changing their behavior. A far lower percentage reported active involvement in arranging assistance for smokers to quit (4.3, n=5). Some 22 of students and 26 of dentists disagreed that the tobacco cessation programs should be as part of dentists' professional responsibility and 70 of them were willing to follow the protocol of tobacco cessation for patients. CONCLUSIONS: Iranian dentist performance regarding tobacco cessation is weak. Dentists and students indicated their lack of knowledge as the major reason for non-adherence to the protocol. Therefore, planning to encourage dentist to follow the protocol needs continuous educational programs.