Smokefree and Smiling: Helping dental patients to quit tobacco
| Author(s)
Dr Julia Csikar, Mrs Jenny Godson and Professor Richard Watt
| | Presenter(s) |
Dr Julia Csikar Senior Public Health Manager, Public Health England | Abstract Smokers are 7-10 times more likely to suffer from oral cancer than ‘never-users’; 61% of adults in England reported regular dental check-ups, therefore it is essential dental teams provide advice and signposting. ‘Smokefree and smiling’ guidance is for dental teams, commissioners and educators.
1. People who use tobacco should receive advice to stop and be offered support to do so with a referral to their local stop smoking service (SSS). All dental teams deliver VBA (Ask, Advise, Act).
2. Dental schools, postgraduate deaneries and commissioners of dental teaching should ensure that tobacco cessation training is available and meets national standards.
Promote training to all undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional development to meet national standards.
3. Dental teams are routinely proactive in engaging users of tobacco.
Ensure advice and referral is efficient, clear and consistent.
4. Commissioning bodies implement appropriate measures that support the above recommendations.
Commissioners ensure contracts and service specifications for SSS support dental team’s key role and identify the value of commissioning small numbers of dental teams to provide specialist support.
This evidence-based guidance provides dental teams, commissioners and educators ways in which they can contribute to reducing rates of tobacco use and highlights resources to support them.
| Presenter biography Dr Julia Csikar, Senior Public Health Manager at Public Health England. Her PhD ‘comparing smoking cessation services in Bradford & Airedale’ demonstrates her interest in smoking cessation.
| Source of funding: PHE
| Declaration of interest: None
| | |
|
