Smoking-related attitude adopted by dentists among their patients

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to identify smoking-related behaviors adopted by dentists and their attitude regarding smoking among their patients. Material and Method: Cross-sectional study conducted between November and December 2020 on a group of 55 dentists, using a questionnaire of 12 items, distributed on-line. Results: Regarding the opinions and behaviors related to smoking among the dentists included in the study, 6 out of 10 dentists advice their patients to quit smoking and 3 out of 10 recommend reducing the number of cigarettes. As for the attention paid to their smoking patients, they consider that more focus should be given to the adolescents, as they are at an age when habits are easier to correct. More than half of the doctors in the study group consider that additional training is needed regarding the integration of anti-smoking programs in the dental practice. Conclusion: By receiving proper training and seriously dedicating themselves to smoking cessation counseling, dentists could play an important role in reducing smoking prevalence. There is also the advantage that visits to the dental office are generally more frequent than the other specialties, allowing the doctor to prevent or correct this vicious habit from the beginning and to observe the evolution of their patients through the smoking cessation program.