Smokers are three times as likely to be diagnosed with oral cancer than non-smokers. And it’s frightening figures like these that have inspired a targeted pilot project aiming to boost quitting rates in Victoria.
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As experts in oral health care, dentists can easily spot the damage smoking does to the mouth and teeth, Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch President Dr Bob Cvetkovic said.
“Smokers tend to suffer from bad breath, stained teeth and dry mouth and a third of moderate to serious gum diseases in Australia are caused by smoking,” he said.
“Oral diseases caused by smoking are more obvious to the eye than other conditions and that gives dentists an advantage over other health-care professionals in identifying patients who use tobacco and starting the conversation about quitting.”
Dental Health Services Victoria CEO Dr Deborah Cole said the Smokefree Smiles project provided a fantastic opportunity to link high priority groups with quitting support.
“Oral health professionals, such as dentists and dental hygienists and therapists, are in an ideal position to have short conversations about quitting smoking with their patients but this is not routinely done,” Dr Cole said.
Quit Victoria Cessation, Partnerships and Priority Settings Manager Luke Atkin said the first phase of the Quit-led project would involve online and face-to-face training for oral health professionals at five pilot sites around Victoria.
“Oral health professionals require training and support to become confident in delivering these brief smoking cessation interventions with their clients and this project aims to deliver that support for both the public and private oral health sector,” he said.
“Very brief advice from an oral health professional can almost double the chances of quitting smoking.”
The pilot sites for the first phase of the project are The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne, Peninsula Health, Maryborough District Health Service, Goulburn Valley Dental Group and the David Curnow Dental Surgery (Dandenong).
The project also aims to increase referrals to smoking cessation services such as the Quitline by oral health professionals.
Dental Health Services Victoria and Quit Victoria have developed a downloadable fact sheet for patients looking to quit smoking or for more information about smoking and their oral health.
How smoking affects your mouth [PDF, 457KB]
The Smokefree Smiles project is funded by the Department of Health and is a partnership between Quit Victoria, Dental Health Services Victoria, the Department of Health and the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch Inc.
Related information
Effects of smoking, alcohol and recreational drugs on the mouth