Opinion abstract
British Dental Journal 198, 529 - 531 (2005)
Published online: 14 May 2005 | doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.4812299
Subject Category: Behavioural sciences
The dental role in smoking cessation advice for patients with mental and behavioural disorders — time for improvement?
R A Baker1
- Senior Dental Officer (Special Needs), South Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, Midvale Clinic, Midvale Road, Paignton, Devon TQ4 5BD.
Correspondence to: R A Baker1 e-mail: robert.baker@nhs.net
- There is a high comorbidity of smoking and mental and behavioural disorders.
- Smoking affects blood levels of some psychiatric medications and mental and behavioural disorders affect quitting smoking.
- Smoking cessation management for patients with mental and behavioural disorders may be outside the professional training of dentists.
- Patients with mental and behavioural disorders who smoke should be identified and referred for medically supervised cessation management.
Abstract
The past few years have seen an increasing emphasis upon the role of the dental team in smoking cessation. The recent advances in knowledge of the level and role of tobacco use in patients with mental and behavioural disorders, the biological factors involved and the influences of tobacco on psychiatric medication metabolism and side effects has not been reflected in dental postgraduate education. Perhaps it is time for an evidence based improvement in care standards by referring these patients for specialist cessation advice?
