Opinions of dental students toward tobacco cessation intervention in the United Arab Emirates

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the opinions of dental students, in one of the dental colleges in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), toward providing tobacco cessation interventions to their patients. Materials and methods Three-hundred-and-fifty students were administered a questionnaire including questions about tobacco cessation interventions (with a response rate of 77%). We generated descriptive statistics for all questions and examined the frequency distribution and percentages of all answers. Data were analysed using cross-tabulations and χ2-tests. The statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results While 83.4% of students agreed that dentists should be trained in tobacco cessation, 56% of students disagreed that they are adequately trained to assist the patient in stopping tobacco use. As the year of study increased, the students’ ‘agree’ responses increased to the statements that the dentist should be trained and that the dentist has a role in assisting patients to stop smoking. Non-Arab students were more confident than Emiratis in tobacco cessation counselling. The percentage of female students who felt greatly confident in assisting was double that of male students. There was a significant difference between tobacco-user students and non-users in response to the question about dentist's role in assisting tobacco cessation. Conclusion A comprehensive tobacco cessation education and training program should be included in dental schools’ curriculum in the UAE to further improve student confidence in providing tobacco cessation services to their patients.