title: Assessment of professional competency and need of smoking cessation counseling for dental students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to analyze the smoking prevalence among dental students and to assess the need for promoting tobacco education and intervention by exploring their knowledge about smoking related risk factors. The study also examined the attitudes and practices of the students toward tobacco consumption, and their responsibilities toward the community.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 53 male students participated in the study (21 juniors and 32 seniors). The training program was divided into three modules, and the questionnaire was administered before and after the counseling sessions, which provided the comparative data on the students' views about smoking cessation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most commonly practiced mode of tobacco consumption was found to be cigarette smoking (90.6 %), while a few consumed Gutkha (9.4%). All the junior students (100%) reported to have been benefitted by the counseling program, while 68.8% of the students from the senior group reported the same. Bivariate statistical analysis was conducted using the Pearson's chi-square test for testing the difference across the age groups. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Curbing tobacco influence on dental students in their initial days can ensure a smoke-free life for them, as well as prevents them from feeling embarrassed or experiencing a lack of confidence while seeing their patients. Thus, tobacco education and intervention programs can motivate the students and increase their potential to be credible advisors regarding smoking cessation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Guardian College of Dental Sciences and Research Centre, Ambernath, India.
authors.forename: Rajani A
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0930-9250
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dable
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, SMBT Dental College and Hospital Amrutnagar, Sangamner, India.
authors.forename: Pradnya B
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3726-3061
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Wasnik
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Pravara Rural Dental College and Hospital Loni, Loni, India.
authors.forename: Babita R
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1276-1953
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Pawar
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Dent Art Dental Hospital, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Sujit S
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5985-9915
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Bopardikar
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, SMBT Dental College and Hospital Amrutnagar, Sangamner, India.
authors.forename: Sunilkumar N
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2096-3854
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Nagmode
keywords: Counseling; Dental students; Prevalence; Risk factors; Smoking cessation