Aim: To assess and compare the effectiveness of two interactive educational methods in teaching tobacco cessation counseling (TCC) in dental practice among the clinical dental students of a dental school in Virajpet, Karnataka. Materials and methods: An interventional single-blind study was conducted among all the third- and final-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students of a dental school. A total of 74 students participated. There were two groups—in one group, problem-based learning (PBL) method, and in the other group, roleplay (RP) method was used for TCC training. Questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and attitude on TCC before and after training. There were six knowledge-based and 10 attitude-based questions. Descriptive statistics included mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage. Inferential statistics included the Chi-squared test. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for the analysis. Results: In both the groups before training, the majority of the students reported a lack of knowledge and confidence in conducting the TCC. There were no statistically significant differences in knowledge- and attitude-based questions between RP and PBL groups in pre- and posttest results. Pretraining results showed a lack of knowledge, confidence, and time among the students in conducting TCC. Knowledge and attitude both had shown a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-training in TCC in both groups. Conclusion: The study reveals there is a need to develop innovative and educational initiatives. It is very important for the students to know how to overcome the gap between the theoretical knowledge and the practical aspect of TCC. Clinical significance: Dentists play an important role in promoting a healthy lifestyle by incorporating tobacco cessation programs into their practice. Using different methods in training will develop skills that will lead to lifelong learning and better preparation of students for their professional careers.