Tobacco Cessation Services: Current Practices and Perceptions of Dental Professionals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan

Considering the scarcity of specialist cessation service providers in resource-constrained Low- & middle-income countries (LMICs), the dental healthcare system can be used as an alternate source of cessation support. This study assessed dental healthcare providers' current practices and perceptions about cessation support in teaching dental hospitals.

We assessed the cessation-related practices and perceptions of 348 dentists working in 10 teaching dental hospitals, using a cross-sectional design in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Participants were selected using simple random sampling technique and data were collected using a modified version of a previously used structured questionnaire, through face-to-face interviews by trained dentists. The Chi-squared test and logistic regression were used to determine associations between cessation support practices, cessation support perceptions, and their potential predictors.

Overall, 13% of dentists provided cessation support, while 36% of participants practiced routine screening for tobacco use. 95% of dentists opined that cessation support should be provided in dental settings, with minimal counselling (5 As) being the preferred method. There was a strong association between dentists having formal training in cessation support and providing cessation support (aOR 6.58, 95% CI 1.95-22.11).

There is a lack of cessation training for DHCPs and a dearth of cessation services in the dental settings of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. However, most DHCPs were willing to provide cessation services.

Cessation support falls behind compared to other MPOWER measures in Pakistan. As a resource-constrained LMIC, Pakistan can consider dental settings as a cost-efficient avenue for delivering cessation support-related services. Cessation services can be integrated into routine dental health care using a dental health workforce trained in cessation support. This untapped resource can help in curbing tobacco use in Pakistan and other similar contexts.