ABSTRACT
It is well known by both the public and the health care professions that smoking tobacco causes lung cancer, pulmonary disease, and other serious conditions that ultimately reduce one’s quality of life. Diseases of the oral cavity, such as leukoplakia, oral cancer, and periodontal diseases, are also associated with tobacco use; although this fact is less often recognized by the general public as well as practicing physicians, it can provide a valuable opportunity for intervention by the dental profession throughout the life cycle. One approach for prevention recommended by the National Cancer Institute is for dentists to advise youth not to start using tobacco, and to advise those in their care to quit (Moss, Allen, Giovino, & Mills, 1992). Advice from health professionals has been shown to be a powerful influence on patient decisions to stop or not begin using tobacco in the first place. The dental profession is in a unique position to influence the population because dentists and dental hygienists regularly see patients who are younger and healthier than primary care physicians and other health professionals.
