Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore the smoking habits of Swedish dental hygienists over a 15-year period from 1987 through 2002, and compare these with the smoking habits of Swedish women in general during the same period. Methods: Random samples of dental hygienists in the age range 20-65 years representing 95% of the Swedish work force were collected based on professional membership. Smoking prevalence data for Swedish women in the general population were retrieved from national statistics. Results: The overall prevalence of current smokers among dental hygienists was 14.9%, 13.4% and 11.2% in 1994, 1998 and 2002, respectively, suggesting a slight decline during the period. The corresponding prevalence for Swedish women in general was 28.2%, 24.8% and 20.9% respectively. The observations indicate a considerably lower prevalence for dental hygienists than for women in general. For Metropolitan areas, the prevalence of current smokers among dental hygienists was 25.3%, 18.1%, 14.9% and 15.6% in 1987, 1994, 1998 and 2002, respectively, compared with 32.4%, 28.1%, 22.8% and 20.0%, respectively, of Swedish women in general, confirming a lower prevalence among dental hygienists. A vast majority of dental hygienists smokers consented to smoke a maximum of 10 cigarettes per day; a consumption that remained stable over the years studied. Conclusion: The prevalence of current smokers among Swedish dental hygienists was considerably lower than the corresponding prevalence among Swedish women in general during the years 1987 through 2002. A continuous decline in smoking prevalence was observed among dental hygienists as well as among women in general.
