Are Nigerian oral health workers overlooking opportunities to promote interventions for tobacco smoking cessation?

Abstract

Introduction Since dentists are strategically positioned to promote tobacco abstinence and cessation, we assessed their commitment through their patients’ dental history in one of the busiest tertiary dental clinics in Nigeria, and also aimed to assess factors associated with screening for tobacco use. Methods This retrospective and descriptive study utilized the dental records of patients (aged 12–80 years) at the oral diagnosis unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LSUTH), Nigeria, from 2017–2018. Descriptive statistics were used to quantify variables such as age, gender, history of tobacco use, while the outcome variable was provision of cessation assistance through referral to the preventive dentistry cessation clinic. Data were analyzed by χ 2 tests, t-test, and regression analysis. The significant level for statistical analysis was set at 5% (p≤0.05). Results A total of 15786 new patients, mean age 49.3±12.8 years, were reviewed. Only 4104 (26%) of the patients had their tobacco use history documented; of these, 656 (16%) indicated past or current tobacco use; only 120 (18.3%) of these were referred for cessation counseling in the preventive dentistry unit. Males (n=611; 93.1%) had a higher proportion of past or present tobacco use. Patients presenting with oral ulcers (OR=1.94) and jaw tumors (OR=2.45) were significantly more likely to be screened for tobacco use. Conclusions Less than 0.01% of new patients were provided with tobacco use cessation advice, and opportunities for screening were essentially unexploited implying an urgent need to incorporate tobacco cessation interventions as part of standard clerking sheets for patients.

Keywords

• tobacco
• smoking
• dentists
• cessation