A patient-oriented smoking cessation program conducted in a dental school clinical setting

Area of Science:

• Oral health promotion
• Preventive dentistry
• Chemical dependency education

Background:

• Dental schools will soon be required to teach chemical dependency, including smoking cessation.
• Expanding roles for dental professionals necessitate new training.
• The Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) is proactively addressing these educational shifts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a patient-oriented smoking cessation program within a dental school setting.
• To assess the integration of smoking cessation services into dental education and practice.
• To prepare dental professionals to provide comprehensive smoking cessation support.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a patient-oriented smoking cessation program.
• Observation of patient, student, faculty, and staff outcomes.
• Training dentists and auxiliaries in smoking cessation therapy and counseling.

Main Results:

• Observed numerous successful smoking cessation attempts among patients, students, faculty, and staff.
• Demonstrated the program's viability and positive impact.
• Highlighted the successful integration of smoking cessation efforts.

Conclusions:

• The smoking cessation program is a valuable addition to preventive dental care.
• Dental education must incorporate smoking cessation training to meet future demands.
• Dental professionals are increasingly involved in health promotion and disease prevention.