Knowledge, attitudes, and skills of dental students at Tehran and Shahid Beheshti dental schools towards tobacco cessation counseling

Tobacco kills 5 million people worldwide annually, according to the Health Ministry reaches this number is about 70,000 people a year in Iran. Dental professionals are in a unique position to promote smoking cessation due to the opportunity for regular interaction with their patients. The aim of this study was to investigate knowledge, attitudes, and skills of dental students at Tehran and Shahid Beheshti dental schools towards tobacco cessation counseling in dental office. In this cross-sectional study, the target group was dental students at Tehran and Shahid Beheshti dental schools, and the sampling method was census. A questionnaire on the knowledge, attitudes, and skills towards tobacco cessation counseling in dental practice was administered to the students (n=93). Data were analyzed using T-test. The response rate was 100% (93 students participate in this program and all of them filled the questionnaire). The average score of knowledge at Tehran and Shahid Beheshti dental schools was 17.5 and 18.4, respectively (P=0.09), the average score of attitudes was 33.5 and 33.1, respectively (P=0.80). There were no significant differences between the two dental schools in these parts. The average score of skill was 11.9 and 16.6, respectively. The differences between the students of two dental schools in skill were significant (P=0.002). Although the attitude of dental students at Tehran and Shahid Beheshti schools towards tobacco cessation counseling seemed to be fair, some deficiencies existed in their knowledge and skill. Dental education programs should be implemented properly in this field.