Models of smoking cessation brief interventions in oral health

The links between tobacco smoking, and periodontal disease and oral cancer make the inclusion of smoking cessation interventions at dental visits an important prevention strategy in oral health services. The 5As (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange), which utilises a stages of change model, is the most commonly recognised framework for the provision of smoking cessation brief interventions and is advocated widely. While the popularity of the 5As continues, increasingly evidence suggests that staged-based interventions in smoking cessation may not be the best approach. Lack of time and expertise are also cited by health professionals as barriers to undertaking brief interventions and thus abbreviated forms of the 5As have been advocated. In 2009, NSW Health introduced a mandatory policy for public dental services in NSW to conduct smoking cessation brief interventions at the chairside based on a three-step approach, which is currently being evaluated. Given the debate and the pending evaluation results, this paper reviews models of smoking cessation brief interventions, to contribute to achieving a best practice model for public oral health in NSW.