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Attitudes, practices, and perceived barriers in smoking cessation among the dental surgeons: A pilot study

Background: Tobacco is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality. The use of tobacco, especially cigarette represents the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the developed world. Tobacco also plays a vital role in etiology of oral diseases such as periodontitis and oral cancer. Today, it is a norm for dentists to play a pivotal role in promoting smoking cessation and offering advice and information on the oral health effects of tobacco use. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitude, practices, and perceived barriers to smoking cessation among the dental surgeons of our institution. Materials and Methods: A pretested, closed-ended, self-administered, questionnaire was distributed among the dental surgeons of our institution who are willing to participate in the investigation. The questionnaire consisted of questions pertaining to attitude (5 questions), practices (6 questions), and barriers (4 questions) in smoking cessation in clinical practice. The three-point Likert scale was used to record the response to each question. The data were tabulated and analyzed to find the most common response to each question. Results: The majority of the dentists had a positive attitude toward smoking cessation and considered to be the responsibility to ask and advice about smoking habit. The study revealed that 70% of the dentists refer their patients to appropriate smoking cessation service, but only 51% of the dentists follow-up the patient about smoking cessation. The lack of interest among the patients is found to be the most commonly reported barrier for the dentists regarding smoking cessation. Conclusion: The study has provided useful information about the dental surgeons of our institution regarding smoking cessation. Training in tobacco cessation will better equip the dentist in their efforts to improve community oral health.