Tobacco cessation through dental office settings

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Tobacco Cessation
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Growing interest in accessible public health initiatives.
• Dental health care workers (DHCWs) are an underutilized resource for tobacco cessation interventions.
• Previous research indicates the potential effectiveness of DHCWs in this role.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a brief dental office-based intervention for tobacco cessation.
• To compare the efficacy of workshops versus self-study for disseminating the intervention to DHCWs.
• To assess the cost-efficiency of different dissemination methods.

Main Methods:

• Randomized clinical trials were conducted.
• A brief intervention was delivered in dental settings.
• Two dissemination methods (workshops and self-study) were compared for DHCWs.

Main Results:

• The dental office-based intervention was effective in helping smokeless tobacco users quit and smokers reduce use or increase readiness to quit.
• Workshops were more effective than self-study in promoting behavior change among DHCWs.
• Self-study dissemination was found to be more cost-efficient.

Conclusions:

• Dentists and dental hygienists can successfully provide tobacco cessation advice and support during routine oral health visits.
• The intervention is viable for integration into dental practice.
• Further dissemination to practitioners, dental schools, and hygiene programs is warranted.