What have we done so far?

1. Survey

We conducted a survey with tobacco user diabetic dental patients and dentists of BIRDEM on need assessment for TCDC in this population. The survey (a cross-sectional questionnaire based survey) was conducted between July-August 2019 in the dental department of BIRDEM.

The survey findings will be published.

2. Patient and Public Involvement

A Patient Public Involvement (PPI) event was conducted in July 2019 in BIRDEM with four different groups including the hospital authority, diabetic patients, dentists, and dental nurses. The event explored patients's perceptions and the need for a tobacco cessation intervention in this context and discussed barriers and facilitators of the proposed study.

Overall findings of the PPI event

The PPI event reflects that project was considered to be important, needed and feasible by the stakeholders. The dental professionals considered this research as feasible if properly designed to fit with the activity of the dental department of BIRDEM. The patients also reported that they would be happy to get support on tobacco cessation from their dentists.

Opportunities and barriers identified:-

Opportunities:

Teachable moment.
Reputed hospital and doctors.
Most of the dentists are willing to know how they can help their patients on tobacco cessation and nicotine Replacement therapy (NRT).
Patients gave feedback that they would like their dentist to give advice / help in tobacco cessation.
It would be possible to track the patients (registered diabetic patients). Most of the patients come back for follow-up dental visit/ happy to share their phone number.

Barriers:

Not having long time to spend with the patient due to high patient flow.
Not having clear knowledge on how to support a patient for tobacco cessation successfully.
Not having clear understanding of behavioral change theory and interventions.
Not having clear knowledge on nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and who can and how to prescribe NRT.