Tobacco cessation counseling: Are dentists doing enough?

Background: Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of premature death and preventable illness. Tobacco cessation counseling (TCC) is one of the ways to prevent the rising mortality. Dentists hold an important role in TCC. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the attitudes, practices, and perceived barriers in TCC among dental practitioners in Goa, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among 150 dentists in Goa. The survey instrument included a close-ended self-administered 27-item questionnaire, assessing demographics, attitudes toward TCC, practices in TCC, and perceived barriers in performing TCC. The data were evaluated using SPSS version 22.0. Chi-square/Fisher's exact test, Pearson's correlation, and unconditional logistic regression were used keeping P value at 5%. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 30.91 ± 5.28 years (24–42 years) and 111 (74.0%) were female. Seventy-three percent of the dentists agreed that TCC is their responsibility. Very few (18.0%) dentists provide tobacco cessation pamphlets and posters in waiting room. The most common barrier (70.0%) was “patient disinterest” in receiving advice. The respondents who have used tobacco were more likely (odds ratio [OR] =2.02, 1.49–2.46) to have positive attitude toward TCC than those who never used tobacco. Older respondents (OR = 2.10, 2.05–2.80) and those having more years of experience (OR = 3.10, 2.86–3.54) were more likely to practice TCC. Conclusion: This study shows that very few dentists were current smokers in Goa. They showed a constructive attitude toward TCC, especially those who were older than 29 years and never used tobacco. Dentists who were positive for TCC were practicing TCC better.