Tobacco Cessation Counseling: Attitudes and Opinions of Sudanese Dentists
[1]
Elhadi M. Awooda , Conservative and Preventive Dentistry Department, University of Medical Science and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan.
[2]
Salma B. Saeed , Conservative and Preventive Dentistry Department, University of Medical Science and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan.
Dentists can play an important role in tobacco cessation counselling. Their role is under-estimated and under-used. The study was aimed to assess the role of Sudanese dentists in tobacco cessation counselling, their attitudes towards counselling procedures, the perceived barriers and their tobacco status. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study among 177 Sudanese dentists (79 male and 94 female), working within Khartoum state. A self administered well structured questionnaire including demographic data, tobacco use status, attitudes toward cessation programmes perceived barriers and counselling procedure was filled by the surveyed dentists. Result: Majority of dentists (98.3%) believed they had a role in tobacco cessation counselling. 87.9% acquainted their patients with the detrimental effects of tobacco use on the oral health with no significance difference between smokers and non smokers. 12.7% of surveyed dentists were current tobacco user. Females had no gender barrier in counselling procedures while lack of training and uninterested patients were the main barriers against counselling. Conclusion: low percentages of Sudanese dentists use tobacco; the main barrier for tobacco cessation counselling was lack of training and uninterested patients. Speciality and gender did not affect the counselling practice.
Tobacco, Smokeless Tobacco, Tobacco Cessation, NRT, Sudanese Dentists
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