Prevention of tobacco use in dental students. View from UNIANDES, Ibarra Campus

Abstract

Nowadays, smoking begins at younger ages and affects people's health. Ecuador has a high percentage of smoking population, with a significant impact on public health. At the Regional Autonomous University of the Andes (Uniandes), Ibarra Campus, students of the Dentistry career who smoke were identified. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to promote an educational program for the prevention of tobacco consumption in students who are in the first semester of Dentistry at Uniandes-Ibarra. A mixed methodology was used, harmonizing quantitative and qualitative elements. A questionnaire technique was used, applied to 86 students, depending on the category, smokers or non-smokers, according to the number of questions applied. The salivary pH values of the 86 students who are in the first semester of Dentistry were recorded. It was concluded that tobacco consumption does affect oral pH, the greater the consumption of cigarettes, the more alkaline the pH value becomes. The Say NO to Tobacco! Educational Program is concise, accurate, and objective, using language that is understandable to all students. A coordinated effort between educational institutions and students is necessary to achieve a significant reduction in tobacco consumption among young people.

Keywords: student smokers, educational program, Dentistry