Assessing dental professionals' understanding of tobacco prevention and control: a qualitative study in Västerbotten County, Sweden

Aim: To assess dental professionals' understanding of tobacco prevention and control. Materials and Methods: In Sweden dental hygienists receive training in tobacco prevention and control. The study setting is Västerbotton County in the north of Sweden where a number of successful tobacco control initiatives have been established. A purposeful sample comprising five male and four female dental professionals and trainees was selected. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured individual interviews and analysed using content analysis. Results: Informants acknowledged limited adherence to tobacco prevention. They were not confident of their knowledge of tobacco and non-communicable disease prevention and had limited awareness of global oral health policies. Reasons for poor adherence included professional fragmentation, lack of training, and the absence of reimbursement for time spent on prevention activities. Discussion: The success of efforts to reduce smoking in Västerbotton County is attributed to the network of local public health initiatives with very limited involvement by local dental professionals. Conclusions: The findings highlight the need to more actively engage the dental workforce in tobacco control and prevention. Moreover, it is important to recognise that dental professionals can be public health advocates for tobacco control and prevention at global, national and local levels.