Introduction of tobacco cessation counselling in dental curriculum

Introduction: Dental students encounter tobacco users on a daily basis but fail to perform their role as health care providers and neglect habit-related issues that require proper counselling and support. This is due to lack of knowledge and confidence in counselling, which in turn is caused by lack of proper training. This study attempts to teach tobacco cessation counselling (TCC) skill to dental students. Aims and Objectives: To train undergraduate dental students in TCC. Materials and Methods: Third-year dental students were taught TCC protocol using lectures and a video. Students practiced TCC skills, and their competency was evaluated using an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) on a standardized patient. After evaluation, the students filled a written feedback. Settings and Design: A prospective, interventional study was conducted among third year dental students in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics describing the frequency and percentage of responses of each question/performance/feedback at 95% confidence interval; percentage of those who performed very good were compared using t-test for proportions. Results: This study showed that educational interventions such as didactic instructions and practical training increases the counselling skills of students and helps patients in quitting. Conclusion: This training improved the skill of the students and helped patients to quit tobacco in an effective and professional manner. Therefore, including the TCC protocol in the dental curriculum should be considered