Integration of a personalized approach for tobacco use and dependence in a dentistry setting-preliminary results

• Main Authors: Antigona Trofor, Ionela Alina Grosu, Cristina Vicol, Larisa Moldovan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: European Publishing 2018-03-01
• Series: Tobacco Induced Diseases
• Subjects: WCTOH
• Online Access: http://www.journalssystem.com/tid/Integration-of-a-personalized-approach-for-tobacco-use-and-dependence-in-a-dentistry,83840,0,2.html

Background Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for many oral cavity disorders, amongst which periodontal disease and oral cancer - the most frequent conditions in current dentistry practice. Oral pathology clinics lack their own smoking cessation services, and a personalized approach of tobacco consumers addressing dentistry settings would improve their oral health. Aim: To design a personalized smoke-free approach in a dentistry department and to preliminary evaluate the effectiveness of smoking cessation counseling in a pilot group of smokers with oral cancer. Methods Screening for oral health and smoking status of 270 patients admitted in an oral pathology university department for periodontal disease and oral malignancies. All patients answered a personalized oral health and tobacco use questionnaire. 59 smokers with oral cancers underwent a specially designed 3 sessions smoking cessation counseling program (personalized enrollment questionnaire, brief advice and counseling) with initial and in 8 weeks follow-up clinical evaluation of both smoking and oral status Results Periodontal disease was more frequent in smokers (60%) with poor oral hygiene and diet. Majority of smokers with oral cancers were men, age average 57.2 (SD: 4.6) and 49.2 smoked > 20 cigs/day. Most frequently, oral malignancy affected the lips and the jowl. All 59 smokers with oral cancers answered the personalized questionnaire and attended the brief advice session, whilst 46 (78%) agreed to try to quit smoking, with a 52.5% abstinence rate at 8 weeks follow up and a significant oral status improvement identified in all quitters. Conclusions There is a great need to design a personalized smoke-free approach for dental patients, by routinely adding screening and treatment of tobacco use to overall oral health evaluation. Smoking cessation proved beneficial in the oral cancers pilot group.