Survey of smoking behavior and attitudes of 630 American dentists: current trends

A random sample of 630 American dentists (7.9% of the total) who attended the first three days of the 124th annual session showed that 52 dentists (8.3%) currently smoke and only 34 (5.4%) smoke cigarettes. There were 219 exsmokers (34.8%) and 359 (56.9%) who had never smoked. In comparison with earlier studies, dentists in this national sample increasingly believe that they have a role in helping their patients who smoke to quit. Eleven office strategies for helping patients quit smoking were surveyed. Three reasons are discussed as to why these dentists could have changed their behavior and attitudes toward smoking during the past 20 years: dentists probably have become aware of the general health hazards caused by smoking via the surgeon general's reports, they could have developed firsthand knowledge concerning the oral ill effects of tobacco, and they could be reflecting the general trend of Americans toward adopting healthier lifestyles.