Tobacco Cessation
Tobacco use is one of the major challenges to international health and all health professionals have an important roleto play in helping to stop the global tobacco epidemic.
“Available evidence suggests that behavioural counselling (typically brief) conducted by oral health professionals in conjunction with an oral examination in the dental office or community setting can increase tobacco abstinence rates by 70% at six months or longer”
FDI is advocating for oral health care teams to acknowledge that helping tobacco users to quit the habit is part of their role and to formally recognise that smoking cessation is part of the practice of dentistry. In addition, oral health professional organisations should have a responsibility in supporting political processes to build an environment conducive to health and that includes strong tobacco control policies.
Watch how to deliver three-to-five-minute, brief tobacco interventions to dental patients in primary care by using the 5As and 5Rs models :
Tobacco Cessation: Let’s talk
The World Health Organization (WHO) World No Tobacco Day 2005 campaign emphasized that health professionals, including oral health professionals, have the greatest potential of any group in society to promote the reduction of tobacco use. They have several roles to play in comprehensive tobacco control efforts, including that of role model, clinician, educator, scientist, leader, opinion builder, and alliance builder.
The FDI Tobacco Cessation project was launched in 2020 to provide oral health professionals with smoking cessation and control resources that can be implemented in the dental setting in collaboration with other relevant health professionals.
Project Goals
Increase awareness of the fundamental role of oral health profession to work for tobacco cessation
Increase knowledge and skills of oral health professionals to provide tobacco cessation interventions in dental settings.
Increase awareness of the dangers of tobacco smoking to oral health & emphasize the importance of oral health to achieving overall health and well-being.
