Long-term follow-up of tobacco cessation intervention in a dental setting: A randomized trial

Tobacco dependence is widely prevalent and a harmful chronic disorder. Achieving long-term tobacco abstinence is an important public health goal. This study aims to assess the long-term effectiveness of moderate-intensity treatment for tobacco cessation in the dental clinic setting.

Out of 1206 subjects registered to the Tobacco cessation clinic (TCC) during this time period, only 999 of them completed the 1-year follow-up period. The mean age was 45.9 ± 9 years. Six hundred and three (60.3%) of these subjects were male and 396 (39.6%) of them were females. Five hundred and fifty-eight (55.8%) used smoking tobacco and 441 (44.1%) used smokeless tobacco. Patients received tailored behavioral counseling, educational material, and pharmacotherapy consisting of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and\or NON-NRT. Patients were monitored by phone or clinic visits for 11 months.

Outcomes assessed were complete abstinence, harm reduction (>50% reduction), no change and lost to follow-up. At the end of 12 months the tobacco quit rate was180 (18%), tobacco reduction >50% was 342 (34.2%), no change 415 (41.5%) and relapse 62 (6.2%).

Our study has identified adequate quit-rates in a cohort of dental patients attending a hospital-based TCC.