title: Tobacco dependence education in U.S. Dental assisting programs' curricula.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the level of tobacco dependence education (TDE) in the curricula of U.S. dental assisting programs and to compare the findings to those from a similar assessment of dental hygiene curricula. In the 2012-13 academic year, a 51-item survey was sent to directors of all 298 accredited dental assisting programs. Assessed were curricular TDE content, time spent on each topic, expected levels of clinical competence, and resources used. Of the 298 potential participants, 89 programs returned completed surveys, for a response rate of 30%. Of the 13 TDE-related content areas, those most often covered were oral disease related to tobacco use (100%) and general diseases related to tobacco use (93%); those least often covered were stages of (behavior) change (29%), how to develop a comprehensive tobacco intervention program in a private office setting (23%), and strategies for community-based tobacco control (22%). Responding program directors indicated the following levels of tobacco cessation intervention at which students should demonstrate competence: brief, 44%; moderate, 55%; intensive, 8%. Less than half of the reporting programs conducted a formal assessment of clinical competence in any TDE-related skills; however, skills in assessing patient tobacco use and associating head and neck findings to tobacco use were formally or informally assessed by 74% and 61%, respectively. Compared to dental hygiene programs, TDE appeared to play a smaller role in the curricula of dental assisting programs, and dental assisting programs were less likely to formally assess clinical competence in TDE.
authors.affiliation: Ms. Svetanoff is a predental student and a graduate of Butler University; Dr. Romito is Associate Professor, Department of Oral Biology, Indiana University School of Dentistry; Prof. Ford is Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Dental Assisting, Department of Periodontics and Allied Dental Programs, Indiana University School of Dentistry; Dr. Palenik is retired Professor, Indiana University School of Dentistry and currently associated with GC Infection Prevention and Control, Indianapolis, IN; and Dr. Davis is Professor, Dental Hygiene, School of Allied Health, Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Svetanoff
authors.affiliation: Ms. Svetanoff is a predental student and a graduate of Butler University; Dr. Romito is Associate Professor, Department of Oral Biology, Indiana University School of Dentistry; Prof. Ford is Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Dental Assisting, Department of Periodontics and Allied Dental Programs, Indiana University School of Dentistry; Dr. Palenik is retired Professor, Indiana University School of Dentistry and currently associated with GC Infection Prevention and Control, Indianapolis, IN; and Dr. Davis is Professor, Dental Hygiene, School of Allied Health, Southern Illinois University Carbondale. lromitoc@iu.edu.
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Romito
authors.affiliation: Ms. Svetanoff is a predental student and a graduate of Butler University; Dr. Romito is Associate Professor, Department of Oral Biology, Indiana University School of Dentistry; Prof. Ford is Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Dental Assisting, Department of Periodontics and Allied Dental Programs, Indiana University School of Dentistry; Dr. Palenik is retired Professor, Indiana University School of Dentistry and currently associated with GC Infection Prevention and Control, Indianapolis, IN; and Dr. Davis is Professor, Dental Hygiene, School of Allied Health, Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
authors.forename: Pamela T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.affiliation: Ms. Svetanoff is a predental student and a graduate of Butler University; Dr. Romito is Associate Professor, Department of Oral Biology, Indiana University School of Dentistry; Prof. Ford is Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Dental Assisting, Department of Periodontics and Allied Dental Programs, Indiana University School of Dentistry; Dr. Palenik is retired Professor, Indiana University School of Dentistry and currently associated with GC Infection Prevention and Control, Indianapolis, IN; and Dr. Davis is Professor, Dental Hygiene, School of Allied Health, Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Palenik
authors.affiliation: Ms. Svetanoff is a predental student and a graduate of Butler University; Dr. Romito is Associate Professor, Department of Oral Biology, Indiana University School of Dentistry; Prof. Ford is Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Dental Assisting, Department of Periodontics and Allied Dental Programs, Indiana University School of Dentistry; Dr. Palenik is retired Professor, Indiana University School of Dentistry and currently associated with GC Infection Prevention and Control, Indianapolis, IN; and Dr. Davis is Professor, Dental Hygiene, School of Allied Health, Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
authors.forename: Joan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003376:Counseling; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D003726:Dental Assistants / Q000193:education*; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000193:education; D003770:Dental Offices; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D062405:Motivational Interviewing; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D016730:Program Development; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D020340:Tobacco Use Cessation / Q000379:methods; D061485:Tobacco Use Cessation Devices / Q000145:classification; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000150:complications; D014481:United States
keywords: allied dental education; curriculum; dental assisting; dental assisting education; smoking cessation; tobacco dependence education