Perfil tabágico e grau de dependência nicotínica entre acadêmicos de Odontologia: revisão integrativa de literatura

Abstract

Tobacco use is a chronic disease characterized by nicotine dependence. It is recognized as the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, accounting for more than eight million deaths each year. The initiation of tobacco product consumption often occurs during youth, underscoring the need for studies focused on the academic population. In the field of Dentistry, tobacco use represents not only a risk factor for several oral diseases—such as oral cancer, periodontitis, and halitosis—but also an ethical and educational challenge, given the dentist’s exemplary role in health promotion. This study aimed to identify the smoking profile and the degree of nicotine dependence among undergraduate dental students through an integrative literature review. The search was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, SciELO, and Virtual Health Library (VHL) databases, including publications from 2015 to 2025 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, with 28 articles selected for analysis. The studies addressed the prevalence of smoking, types of tobacco products used, initiation of consumption, and associated factors. The results showed a variable prevalence of 2.3% to 45.5% of smokers among dental students; in addition to conventional cigarettes, waterpipe (hookah) and the increasing use of electronic smoking devices were also prominent. Although awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco is high, consumption persists, especially among students in the final years of their undergraduate program. It is concluded that tobacco use among dental students remains an underestimated public health issue, requiring continuous educational actions, cessation strategies tailored to the university context, and greater institutional engagement in training professionals committed to promoting healthy habits.