Action on smoking - opportunities for the dental team

In 1998, the UK government published a White Paper outlining a comprehensiv e range of measures to reduce smoking rates across the population. In the s ame year a detailed overview of the evidence base for smoking cessation act ivities within the NHS was published. Both these documents provide useful i nformation for health professionals interested in developing their roles in smoking cessation and prevention. An increased risk for the development of oral malignacies and a susceptibility for the breakdown of periodontal tis sues are the most significant effects of smoking on the mouth. This paper a ims to highlight how dentists and their team members can become actively in volved in efforts to reduce smoking. Opportunities at both a clinical and p ublic health level are considered.