Practice abstract
British Dental Journal 194, 665 - 668 (2003)
Published online: 28 June 2003 | doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.4810266
Prevention. Part 1: Smoking cessation advice within the general dental practice
R G Watt1, B Daly2 & Series Editor E J Kay3
- Prevention is a fundamental element of clinical practice. This is the first in a series of papers which will review and update the evidence base for preventive action in general dental practice.
- One important, but underdeveloped area of prevention is smoking cessation. Smoking and tobacco use adversely affects oral health in a variety of ways. The dental profession and their teams have a potentially important role to play in helping smokers to quit.
- This paper aims to review the practical steps that the dental team can implement in smoking cessation activities within the clinical dental setting.
Prevention
- Smoking cessation advice
- Dietary advice
- Prevention of tooth wear
- Toothbrushing advice
- Patients requiring osseointegrated oral implant treatment
- Older dentate patient
- Professionally applied topical fluorides for caries prevention
- Pit and fissure sealants in preventing caries in the permanent dentition of children
Abstract
Smoking remains the largest single preventable cause of death and disability in the UK and costs the NHS £1.7 billion each year.1 More than 120,000 people die prematurely due to smoking related diseases. Worldwide smoking is the single most important public health problem. The detrimental effects of smoking and tobacco use on oral health are well recognised. Oral cancers and pre-cancers, periodontal diseases and poor wound healing are the most significant and serious effects of smoking on the mouth.2, 3 In addition, staining of the teeth, soft tissue changes and halitosis are aesthetic and social impacts of smoking directly related to oral health.
- Reader, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Royal Free and University College London Medical School, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT
- Lecturer, Department of Dental Public Health, The Guy's, Kings and St. Thomas' Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences. GKT Dental Institute, Caldecot Road, London SE5 9RW
- Professor of Dental Health Services Research, University of Manchester Dental Hospital and School, Higher Cambridge Street, Manchester M15 6FH
Correspondence to: R G Watt1 e-mail: r.watt@ucl.ac.uk