Journal of dental education
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Tobacco cessation through dental office settings.
There is increasing interest in broadly inclusive public health interventions that involve low-cost, self-help materials and minimal support from professionals. Dental health care workers (DHCWs) are a largely untapped resource for providing advice and brief counseling to tobacco-using patients, and there are good reasons to believe that they can be effective in this role. The results of our randomized clinical trials have shown that a brief dental office-based intervention can be effective in helping smokeless tobacco users to quit and smokers to reduce their use and become more ready to quit. ⋯ Workshops were more effective than self-study in effecting behavior change, although our analyses indicate that self-study was more cost-efficient. These studies have demonstrated the viability of using dentists and dental hygienists to provide brief cessation advice and supportive materials in the context of regular oral health visits to encourage their patients to quit. The results of these studies also support the timeliness of further dissemination and diffusion of this program to practitioners, dental schools, and dental hygiene programs.
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Tobacco use adversely affects oral health and dental care. Globally, the health consequences of tobacco use are worsening, particularly those caused by cigarette smoking. Concerned government and nongovernmental organizations are attempting to contain the transnational tobacco companies' promotion of tobacco use and its disregard for the serious health consequences. ⋯ Dental organizations must identify and overcome perceived and real clinician and practice barriers to adopting essential cessation services. The dental profession is in an excellent position to play a major role in several emerging issues, such as helping the public and policymakers understand the chronic nature of tobacco dependence and supporting cessation services for all people, particularly pregnant women and youths. Such messages should be presented in terms that resonate with the public because tobacco industry activities and products continue to undermine well-being, the health economy, and individual self-directed behavior of choice.