SMOKING CESSATION INTERVENTIONS FOR DENTAL PATIENTS - ATTITUDES AND REPORTED PRACTICES OF DENTISTS IN THE OXFORD REGION

Objective To investigate various aspects of dentists' beliefs and prac tices with respect to helping their patients stop smoking. Design Post al questionnaire survey conducted in 1996. Setting The general dental practitioners on the health authority lists of Berkshire, Buckinghamsh ire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. Subjects The 869 dentists regis tered on 1 April 1996. Results A high response rate (78%; 674/869) was obtained The majority of respondents (82%; 95% CI: 79, 85) thought de ntists should encourage their patients to stop smoking although only 3 7% (95% CI: 34, 41) believed dentists to be effective in smoking cessa tion and even fewer (18%; 95% CI: 15, 21) routinely recorded their pat ients' smoking status. Of respondents, 51% (95% CI: 46, 55) said they always discussed smoking with patients who had periodontal problems bu t only 9% (95% CI: 7, 12) always did so with patients who had no major oral health problem. Newer graduates were more likely to routinely re cord their patients' smoking status (P = 0.02), and to think that doct ors' advice (P = 0.001) and nicotine replacement therapy (P < 0.001) w ere effective in promoting smoking cessation. Dentists in mainly priva te practices were more active than those in NHS or mixed practices in recording patients' smoking status (P < 0.001) and in discussing smoki ng (P = 0.002). Conclusions Most respondents thought that dentists sho uld encourage their patients to stop smoking but few are active in thi s area.