Tobacco use cessation services provided by dentists and dental hygienists in Manitoba: part 1. Influence of practitioner demographics and psychosocial factors.

OBJECTIVE Despite high rates of tobacco use, overwhelming evidence of detrimental effects on oral health, smokers" desire to stop using tobacco and the availability of efficacious brief intervention counselling (BIC) strategies, the delivery of cessation services by dental practitioners is, at best, inconsistent. The purpose of this part of our study was to assess BIC practice patterns among dentists and dental hygienists in Manitoba and to determine whether demographic or psychosocial factors influence BIC delivery. METHODS A pre-piloted survey was mailed to all licensed dentists (547) and registered dental hygienists (566) in the province. RESULTS In all, 514 oral health practitioners responded for a 46.2% response rate. Most oral health practitioners in Manitoba are not providing consistent BIC; however, 54.9% (279/508) of survey respondents advise smokers to quit. Women clinicians are more likely to ask, assess and assist patients and tend to advise against smoking more frequently than men; younger practitioners are more likely to ask and assess readiness to quit smoking than older practitioners; dental hygienists are more likely to provide assistance to quit than dentists. Assisting is the service least frequently provided by practitioners. The barriers to providing BIC are different for male and female practitioners and for dentists and dental hygienists; practitioners with more psychosocial barriers provide BIC less frequently than those reporting fewer barriers. Only 36.9% (188/510) of practitioners report feeling adequately prepared to assist smokers to quit.