Dental professionals are strategically positioned to deliver brief tobacco cessation interventions owing to frequent patient contact and the profound impact of tobacco on oral and overall health. The World Dental Federation (FDI) has prioritized capacity building by developing structured tobacco cessation resources and training workshops centered on the widely accepted 5 A’s (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) and 5R’s (Relevance, Risks, Rewards, Roadblocks, Repetition) frameworks to enhance clinical practice in dental settings. This study evaluated changes in knowledge and practice related to the 5 A’s and 5R’s smoking cessation guidelines following an FDI-supported structured training workshop for dental professionals and identified predictors of post-training performance. We conducted a pre–post interventional study involving 112 dental professionals who completed an FDI-supported workshop on tobacco cessation. Baseline sociodemographic and professional characteristics were also collected. Participants’ knowledge and self-reported clinical implementation of the evidence-based tobacco cessation counseling framework—comprising the 5 A model (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) and the 5R motivational enhancement strategy (Relevance, Risks, Rewards, Roadblocks, Repetition)—were evaluated before and after the training. Bivariate analyses were used to explore the associations between participant characteristics and improvements in scores. Multivariable linear regression identified predictors of post-training 5 A’s scores, while logistic regression evaluated predictors of high post-training performance (top quartile). Participants had a mean age of 38.4 ± 9.2 years; 57.1% were male, 73.2% were general dentists, and 60.7% practiced in private clinics. Only 25.0% of the respondents reported prior formal tobacco cessation training. Knowledge of the 5 A’s increased from 78.6% pre-training to 98.2% post-training, and knowledge of the 5R’s from 70.5% to 96.4%. Mean practice scores improved substantially (5 A’s: 14.23 ± 4.56 to 25.89 ± 2.14; 5R’s: 12.78 ± 4.12 to 24.45 ± 2.87). Participants without previous similar training demonstrated significantly greater improvements than those with prior training (p < 0.01). Baseline 5 A score was the strongest predictor of post-training performance (β = 0.59, p < 0.001), whereas previous similar training was inversely associated with post-training scores (B = − 0.85, p = 0.039). Each one-point increase in baseline 5 A’s score increased the odds of high post-training performance by 32% (aOR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.15–1.51). Participation in FDI-supported structured tobacco cessation training was associated with marked improvements in guideline knowledge and practice among dental professionals. Baseline competence and previous similar training status significantly influenced the outcomes, underscoring the importance of tailored, competency-based educational strategies. These findings support the integration of standardized cessation training into professional development to strengthen oral health practitioners’ contributions to comprehensive tobacco control strategies.
Oyapero et al. (Wed,) studied this question.