The partecipation of dentists in smoking cessation: comparative study of venezuelan, spanish and italian dentists

Introduction: Health care professionals have an important role in tobacco control. Dentists are capable of having a great impact in smoking cessation due to their regular contact with patients and the rapid detection of oral signs produced by smoking. Unfortunately, there are few dentists actively involved in smoking control. The aim of this study was to investigate various aspects of dentists' beliefs and practices with respect to smoking cessation. Materials & Methods: A questionnaire about smoking cessation was filled in person by 293 dentists. 93 dentists were from Caracas-Venezuela (VD), 90 were from Madrid-Spain (SD) and 110 from Milan-Italy (ID). Results: 46 SD and 22 ID were smokers. Only 10 VD admitted to smoke. 80 (86.02%) VD, 66 (73.33%) SD and 100% of ID said that they recorded smoking status during the first consultation. However, none routinely update their records on smoking status. The majority of respondents encourage their patients to stop smoking, though, 72.04% (67) VD, 55.55% (50) SD and 100% ID do not recommend or prescribe any cessation therapy. Just 7 (2.38%) of all dentists had heard about the use of Bupropion, however, they had never indicated. Finally, 137 dentists (108 ID) have diagnosed oral cancer in their patients. Conclusions: Dentists have positive attitudes to being involved in smoking cessation interventions, but they do not manage all the information related to it. It is probably due to a lack of training or education during their undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Further studies should evaluate inclusion of smoking cessation instruction in Venezuelan, Spanish and Italian dentistry curriculum.