Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Spring;73(2):94-102.
doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.2012.00347.x. Epub 2012 Jun 26.

Dentists' attitudes, behaviors, and barriers related to tobacco-use cessation in the dental setting

Preeti Prakash  1 , Marilynn G Belek, Barbara Grimes, Steven Silverstein, Richard Meckstroth, Barbara Heckman, Jane A Weintraub, Stuart A Gansky, Margaret M Walsh
Affiliations

Dentists' attitudes, behaviors, and barriers related to tobacco-use cessation in the dental setting

Preeti Prakash et al. J Public Health Dent. 2013 Spring.

Abstract

Objective: This study assessed attitudes, behaviors, and barriers among general dentists in California, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, related to patient tobacco cessation counseling.

Methods: From 2004 to 2008, a baseline survey was mailed to 271 study dentists randomly selected from a master Delta Dental Insurance Company provider list in each state who had agreed to participate in a tobacco cessation randomized clinical trial. Four backward logistic regression models assessed correlates of the five As related to tobacco cessation: Asking about tobacco use, Advising users to quit, Assessing readiness to quit, Assisting with quitting, and Arranging follow-up.

Results: Most respondents (n=265) were male, had practiced dentistry for over 15 years, asked about tobacco use (74%), and advised tobacco users to quit (78%). Only 19% assessed readiness to quit; 39% assisted with quitting; 4% arranged follow-up; and 42% had formal training in tobacco cessation. Believing that tobacco cessation counseling was an important professional responsibility, practicing <15 years, and asking about tobacco use significantly related to advising users to quit. Providing cessation advice and feeling effective intervening related to assessing readiness to quit. Advising users to quit, assessing readiness to quit, feeling effective intervening, and having had formal tobacco cessation training related to assisting with quitting. Barriers to cessation counseling were perceived patient resistance (66%), lack of insurance reimbursement (56%), not knowing where to refer (49%), and lack of time (32%).

Conclusion: Study dentists reported not fully performing the five As. Advising, assessing, having formal training, and feeling effective increased the likelihood of cessation counseling.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percentage of dentists reported “often/almost always” using five Rs’ approach when counseling patients not ready to quit.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Dentists’ reported barriers towards intervening with tobacco-using patients in the dental office.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Annual smoking-attributed mortality, years of potential life lost, and productivity losses: United States, 1997–2001. MMWR. 2005;54:625–628. - PubMed
    1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The health consequences of smoking a report of the surgeon general. Washington, DC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2004.
    1. Molloy J, Wolff LF, Lopez-Guzman A, Hodges JS. The association of periodontal disease prameters with systemic medical conditions and tobacco use. J Clin Periodontol. 2004;31:625–632. - PubMed
    1. Tomar S, Asma S. Smoking-attributable periodontitis in the U.S.: findings from NHANES III National Health and Nutritional Survey. J Periodontol. 2000;71:743–751. - PubMed
    1. Bergstrom J, Eliasson S, Dock J. A 10-year prospective study of tobacco smoking and periodontal health. J Periodontol. 2000;71:1338–1347. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms