Action on smoking--opportunities for the dental team.
In 1998, the UK government published a White Paper outlining a comprehensive range of measures to reduce smoking rates across the population. In the same year a detailed overview of the evidence base for smoking cessation activities within the NHS was published. Both these documents provide useful information for health professionals interested in developing their roles in smoking cessation and prevention. An increased risk for the development of oral malignancies and a susceptibility for the breakdown of periodontal tissues are the most significant effects of smoking on the mouth. This paper aims to highlight how dentists and their team members can become actively involved in efforts to reduce smoking. Opportunities at both a clinical and public health level are considered.
Watt
R G
RG
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Royal Free and University College London Medical School, University College London. r.watt@ucl.ac.uk
Johnson
N W
NW
Warnakulasuriya
K A
KA
D003797:Dental Staff; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D009538:Nicotine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D013218:State Dentistry; D006113:United Kingdom
D009538:Nicotine