Tobacco usage: the role of the dental team in smoking cessation.

UNLABELLED: Cessation of tobacco use, whether smoked or smokeless, is amongst the most significant actions a patient can take to secure their health--both oral and general. The potential role of the dental team in assisting this process is now well recognized, but the degree to which this occurs in practice is uncertain. The UK National Health Service has devoted substantial resources to the development of stop-smoking services. This article describes how the contribution of dentists and dental care professionals fits with wider public health tobacco cessation and control measures. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This article presents an update on the impact of tobacco use on health and outlines current evidence on treating tobacco use and dependence. It also highlights the role of the dental team in helping patients to stop smoking, in light of wider developments in the provision of stop-smoking services.