title: Knowledge and Perceptions Regarding Nicotine Replacement Therapy among Dental Students in Karnataka.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Organized dentistry has recognized the role of oral health professionals in discouraging tobacco use. Unexplored level of knowledge regarding the benefits and prescription of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) have aroused interest among us which initiated us to assess the knowledge and perception of dental students toward NRT among various dental colleges in Karnataka, South India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire survey was done among 16 selected colleges in Karnataka. It was distributed for 3(rd) year, final year, and interns. The study group provided answers to 14 item close-ended questionnaire. The first dimension obtained information on sex, age, course and year of study, and other dimension on forms in which NRT's are supplied, effectiveness of NRT's, side effects of NRT's, rate of success of NRT's, electronic cigars, and recommendations of NRT's. Statistical analysis was done using frequency distribution of responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1984 undergraduate students from Dental Colleges in Karnataka responded to the questionnaire. Most of the students were unaware about NRT term and its forms. Most of the students were aware about the effectiveness of NRT's (54%) for the rescue of the smokers to quit and felt transdermal patch (42%) could be the most effective way for smokers to quit followed by chewing gums, respectively. More than half of the respondents (53.5%) were unaware of E-cigar's and also felt that NRT's and Counseling cumulatively can contribute for cessation of the tobacco habit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A large proportion of dental students in this part of the country were unaware about NRT.
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, College of Dental Sciences, Davangere, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Sunil Lingaraj
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ajagannanavar
authors.affiliation: Dentist, Department of Dental Health, King Saud University, Alfarabi Colleges, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Obaid Abdullah
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Alshahrani
authors.affiliation: Dentist, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Indian Ocean Dental College and Hospital, Mauritius.
authors.forename: Chitra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jhugroo
authors.affiliation: Dentist, MOH, Alfarabi Colleges, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hamed Mohammed
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Tashery
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Periodontics, Indian Ocean Dental College and Hospital, Mauritius.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mathews
authors.affiliation: Under-graduate Student, College of Dental Sciences, Davangere, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Khechari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chavan
keywords: Dental students; knowledge; nicotine replacement therapy