Main

Helgason AR, Lund KE et al. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2003; 31: 378–385

In the county of Stockholm, every third dentist (582) and all 353 hygienists were asked to complete a questionnaire on this topic. Respective response rates were 61% and 67%, mean length of work 22 and 13 yrs, mean number of patients treated per week 47 and 30, and tobacco use was routinely recorded in 70%-90% of patients. In both groups there was a 60:40 split between private and community practice.

The main barriers identified in respect of tobacco cessation activity included results not justifying the effort (respectively 48% and 34%), time consumed (57%, 41%), preference for referral (88%, 88%), lack of knowledge (57%, 66%), lack of payment (78%, 57%) and no perception that this was a duty of dentists or hygienists (49%, 27%).

Most dentists and hygienists had never assisted patients in tobacco cessation and most had not tried to increase their knowledge in this area. Respective mean times spent on all tobacco cessation activity in the previous month were estimated as 1.4 and 2.9 hrs.