Effectiveness of dentist's intervention in smoking cessation: a review

Abstract

Introduction: Smoking is one of the main public health problems in developed countries. Despite extensive evidence on the effects of smoking on both oral and general health, the rate of smoking cessation is not promising. Material and methods: To review the evidence on knowledge and programs for smoking cessation developed by dentists, a literature review was carried out on programs for smoking cessation from the dentist's perspective, as well as a review of behavioral guidelines that have been recently proposed for these interventions. We used the keywords 'Tobacco', 'Smoking Prevention', 'Public Health' AND 'Dentistry', to identify controlled studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses published between 1999 and 2014, in Google Scholar, SCOPUS and PubMed. Results: Out of 177 studies found, 35 were considered, and these were divided into 2 groups of 20 and 15 articles respectively, according to type of study and inclusion criteria. Conclusions: There is considerable scientific evidence describing the programs for smoking cessation used in dentistry, which support their effectiveness. Overall, these are brief behavioral interventions complemented by pharmacological treatment, with the participation of the entire dental team.