Abstract
Background: Awareness programs are highly recommended to educate smokers and help them to quit. The aim of this study is to evaluate dental professionals' awareness and utilisation of the 5As in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods: A survey was conducted in Saudi Arabia on 102 dental care providers (DCPs) in 2010 to assess awareness of 5As. Many factors were included in the survey such as demographic characteristics, working place, years of experiences, level of education and country of graduation. Results: Only 23 (22.5%) of our sample know about the 5As (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist and Arrange), and less than 7% of DCPs assist their patients to quit smoking. In addition, 19 (18.6%) of DCPs were smokers, and of them 6 (31.6%) smoked in front of their patients. Conclusion: Most of the dental practitioners were not aware of the 5As for smoking cessation. Most of them they did not pay attention to the willingness of their patients to quit smoking.