Oral Health Topics

ADA’s consumer information is now available on MouthHealthy.org—our new website developed just for you. Visit MouthHealthy.org to find answers to all your dental-related questions so we can help you be Mouth Healthy for life.

To find information about the topic listed on this page, please visit the MouthHealthy.org page about smoking and tobacco.

• Introduction 
• ADA News
• The Journal of the American Dental Association
• ADA Positions & Statements
• Oral Health Education Videos
• Additional Resources
• Patient Resources

Introduction

Mark Twain once said, "Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it a thousand times." Quitting tobacco is difficult because all forms of it—cigarettes, cigars and spit (chewing) tobacco—contain nicotine and nicotine is the agent in tobacco that's capable of causing addiction or dependence. Dentists and dental professionals can help their patients quit once and for all.

Check out the Additional Resources section below for free materials and information for your office and patients.

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ADA News

• Healthy People 2020 goals to emphasize oral health (01/11/2010)
• Resolution directs ADA to support tobacco-free school policies  (11/10/2009)
• ADA supports new FDA tobacco control efforts  (10/19/2009)
• FDA advises parents on smokeless tobacco risks  (09/25/2009)
• FDA establishes tobacco control center  (08/21/2009)
• Sept. 21-23 tobacco summit set (July 16, 2009)    
• FDA granted authority to regulate tobacco (June 22, 2009)    
• ADA policy on cigarettes and other tobacco products (June 22, 2009)    
• Association lauds progress on tobacco regulation legislation (Mar. 5, 2009)    
• FTC rescinds cigarette testing guidance, opens door to new regulation (Dec. 4, 2008)    
• ADA House eyes tobacco control education materials (Nov. 24, 2008)    
• Tobacco-related cancers decrease (Sept. 18, 2008)    
• Tobacco guidelines get update (May 21, 2008)    
• Link between oral cancer, ethnicity reported (Jan. 14, 2008)

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The Journal of the American Dental Association

• The Relationship Between Methamphetamine Use and Increased Dental Disease (March 2010) 
• Parameters Affecting Tooth Loss during Periodontal Maintenance in a Greek Population  (September 2009) 
• Oral Cancer Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices: A Survey of Dentists and Primary Care Physicians in Massachusetts  (April 2009)
• The Influence of Tobacco Smoking on the Outcomes Achieved by Root-Coverage Procedures: A Systematic Review (March 2009)
• A survey of oral and maxillofacial surgeons’ tobacco-use–related knowledge, attitudes and intervention behaviors (December 2008)
• Kicking the Nicotine Habit (October 2008)
• Oral Lesions in Patients Participating in an Oral Examination Screening Week at an Urban Dental School (October 2008)
• A Comprehensive Analysis of Babe Ruth's Head and Neck Cancer (August 2008)
• Colorado Dental Practitioners' Attitudes and Practices Regarding Tobacco-Use Prevention Activities for 8- Through 12-Year-Old Patients (April 2008)
• Comparing diet, oral hygiene and caries status of adult methamphetamine users and nonusers: A pilot study (February 2008)
• Type 2 Diabetes Risk Higher in Smokers (February 2008)
• Link Between Oral Cancer, Ethnicity Reported (January 2008)
• Screening for cardiovascular risk factors in a dental setting (June 2007)
• Tobacco use quitline enrollment through dental practices: A pilot study (May 2007)
• The pathophysiology, medical management and dental implications of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (April 2007)
• Pregnant Women Who Smoke Increase Risk of Cleft Lip/Palate in Infants Lacking Gene (February 2007)
• Mucosal Lesions in Older Adults (January 2007)
• For the Dental Patient—Give Tobacco the Boot (March 2011) (PDF)

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ADA Positions & Statements

• Summary of Policy and Recommendations Regarding Tobacco: (1964–Present)  

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Oral Health Education Videos

ADA Dental Minute

• Dangers of Spit Tobacco
• Gum Disease
• Join the Great American Smoke-Out
• Smokeless Tobacco
• Why Do Teeth Darken?

Public Service Announcements

• The Hazards of Smokeless Tobacco (With Cal Ripken, Jr)

Video News Release

• Cigars: What's So Cool About Bad Breath, Stained Teeth and Oral Cancer?

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Additional Resources

For Dental Professionals—Implement in-office tobacco cessation strategies.

• Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: A Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline
  This document contains evidence-based strategies and recommendations designed to assist clinicians; tobacco dependence treatment specialists; and health care administrators, insurers, and purchasers in delivering and supporting effective treatments for tobacco use and dependence.
• Tobacco Cessation—You Can Quit Smoking Now!
  The latest counseling techniques and drug information for treating tobacco use and dependence are available from the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. Many resources are available in Spanish.
• Help Your Patients Quit (PDF)
  A reference card for professionals with tobacco cessation tips and options for pharmacotherapy.
• University-supported continuing education and office tobacco cessation interventions for healthcare professionals who are interested in incorporating nicotine dependence treatment into their practice:       
  • Dental Practice-Based Research Network
  • Mayo Clinic
  • University of California at San Francisco
  • University of Michigan
  • University of Minnesota
• Tobacco-Use Cessation Counseling Services Brochure (PDF)
  Designed by the Medicare Learning Network to provide education on tobacco-use cessation counseling services. This brochure is suggested for all Medicare providers, and will also be made available in print at a later date. 
• Manhattan Tobacco Cessation Program Tobacco Treatment Toolkit for Dental Providers
  MTCP’s Toolkit for Dental Providers provides the concise steps and procedures for treating tobacco use in the dental setting. Available online in PDF format, the toolkit can be accessed online or printed and kept on-hand for use in the dental practice.  

 For Patients—Self-help tobacco cessation tools.

• National Network of Tobacco Cessation Quitlines
  800-QUITNOW (800-784-8669) TTY 800-332-8615
  The toll-free number is a single access point to the National Network of Tobacco Cessation Quitlines. Callers can speak with a counselor to receive help with quitting smoking, informational materials and referrals to other sources. The Quitline Map of North America provides an interactive map with information available by state regarding services offered and hours of operation.
• You Can Quit Smoking
  The You Can Quit Smoking Kit from the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office is a one-stop source for information to help smokers become tobacco-free. It contains guideline products designed specifically for consumers that are available in English, Spanish, and easy-to-read formats.
• Quitting Spit Tobacco
  Spit tobacco, also known as dip and chew, snuff, chewing tobacco, and smokeless tobacco, comes in two forms. But no matter what it’s called, spit tobacco is highly addictive and can harm your health. This Web site is sponsored by the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research.
• American Lung Association
  Smoking cessation support is available from the American Lung Association.
• You Can Quit Smoking Now!
  This Web site (Smokefree.gov), developed by the National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health and others, provides information and professional assistance to help support the immediate and long-term needs of people who want to quit smoking. The site provides:
  • An online step-by-step cessation guide
  • A link to the national telephone quitline
  • NCI's instant messaging service
  • Publications, which may be downloaded, printed, or ordered

Community-based Interventions

• Guide to Community Preventive Services: Tobacco Use and Control, CDC
  This guide, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides recommendations to decision makers about the types of interventions most appropriate for reducing tobacco use and exposure for different populations. Recommendations are based upon the strength of the evidence for each intervention type according to a systematic review process and are helpful to decision makers when selecting an intervention for specific groups or individuals.
• Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
  The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids works to reduce tobacco use worldwide. By working to affect change in public attitudes and public policies on tobacco, they strive to prevent kids from smoking, help smokers quit and protect everyone from secondhand smoke.
• Tar Wars
  Tar Wars, sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians is designed to educate students about being tobacco-free, provide them with the tools to make positive decisions regarding their health, and promote personal responsibility for their well-being. Information on classroom presentations is available.
• American Legacy Foundation
  The American Legacy Foundation is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Its two goals are to arm all young people with the knowledge and tools to reject tobacco and to eliminate disparities in access to tobacco prevention and cessation services. The Foundation’s Great Start program is the first national media campaign and toll-free quitline number to help pregnant women quit smoking. Pregnant women who want to quit smoking can obtain free, confidential counseling in English and Spanish by calling toll-free 1-866-66-START.

Literature on Tobacco Use

• Chewing tobacco: Not a risk-free alternative to cigarettes
  The Mayo Clinic says get the facts about chewing tobacco. It’s more dangerous than you think.
• Smoking and Cancer
  This National Cancer Institute site offers a wide range of information for the public, professional and researcher on quitting smoking and spit tobacco and well as tobacco-related research.
• U.S. Surgeon General
  The U.S. Surgeon General has issued numerous reports on the adverse health effects of tobacco. A complete list can be found on the Surgeon General Web site. Most recent reports are:
  • The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A report of the Surgeon General (2006)
  • The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General (2004)
  • Women and Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General (2001)
  • Reducing Tobacco Use: A Report of the Surgeon General (2000)
  • Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General (2000)
• Brochures available through ADA Catalog:
  • Think Before You Chew: Smokeless Doesn’t Mean Harmless W190
  • Quit Smoking: Better Health, Better Life, Better You W126
  • Get the Facts About Oral Cancer W151

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