The aim of the present study was to examine smoking behaviour and motivation for smoking cessation in patients at a dental clinic. Another aim was to examine if the patients had been asked by the dental staff regarding their smoking habits. Twenty-two patients from a student clinic and twenty-one patients from a Swedish Public Dental Service Clinic in southern of Sweden participated in the study. Participants consisted of eighteen women and twenty-five men. Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire that was directed at smokers. The questionnaire was answered in connection with the visit to the dental hygienist. The patients smoked between eight and twelve cigarettes per day and had on average smoked between 5 -15 years. More than half of the patients started smoking because of pressure from friends. In the future the patients would consider quitting smoking to avoid oral health diseases. Most of the patients wanted to try without external aid. The general health and oral health was perceived as good, or very good by 43 respondents. The most common oral health problems were dry mouth, dark brown coating on the teeth and gingivitis. This survey shows that many of those who currently smoke started smoking because of their surroundings. Giving up smoking to avoid oral health diseases was very important / important to the respondents. The motivation for smoking cessation was different among the patients. It was difficult for many patients to stop smoking. The survey also showed that more dental hygienists than dentists asked their patients about smoking habits and informing them about smoking cessation. / Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka rökvanor och motivation till rökavvänjning hos patienter vid tandvårdsklinik. Ytterligare ett syfte var att undersöka om patienterna blivit tillfrågade av tandvårdspersonalen om sina rökvanor. Tjugutvå patienter från en studentklinik och tjuguen patienter från en folktandvårdsklinik i södra Sverige deltog i studien. Deltagarna bestod av 58 % män och 42 % kvinnor. Datainsamlingen genomfördes med användning av en enkät som var riktad till rökare. Enkäten besvarades i samband med ett tandhygienistbesök. Patienterna uppgav att de rökte mellan åtta och tolv cigaretter per dag och hade rökt mellan  5-15 år. Mer än hälften av patienterna började röka på grund av grupptryck eller kompisar. Patienterna kunde tänka sig att sluta röka i framtiden, för att undvika munhälsoskador och dem flesta av rökarna vill försöka sluta röka utan hjälp. Den allmänna hälsan respektive munhälsan upplevdes som bra eller mycket bra av samtliga 43 respondenter. De vanligaste problemen med munhälsan var muntorrhet, svarta bruna beläggningar på tänderna samt gingivit. Denna enkätstudie visar att många av dem som rökte började röka på grund av att personer i deras omgivning rökte. Att sluta röka för att undvika munhälsoskador var mycket viktigt/viktigt för patienterna. Motivationen till rökstopp varierade bland patienterna. Det var svårt för många av de att hålla sig rökfria. Studien visar även att det var fler tandhygienister än tandläkare som frågade patienterna om deras rökvanor och informerade om rökavvänjning.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate former dental hygienist students’ view regarding their education at Kristianstad University.Material and methods: This quantitative study was descriptive and the data collection method was used by a questionnaire. This was sent by post to former dental hygienist students at Kristianstad University. In total, 57 dental hygienists participated in the study.Result: The majority of the respondents (94 %, n=54) were content with their education. The education’s primary strength turned out to be the clinical activity that is conducted while at the same time there was a wish for more practice. The content in the dental hygienist education at Kristianstad University is corresponding to the requirements in the profession including oral health science according to the majority of the respondents.Conclusion: The clinical activity that is conducted both at external dental clinics and at the dental clinic at the college has a high significance for the prospective dental hygienist’s career.Keywords: alumnus, dental hygienist, dental hygienist education, knowledge, skills description