Characteristics of Adolescent Smoking in High School Students in California‪.‬

Introduction Tobacco use increases risk of lung disease, cancer, and heart disease. (1) In addition, smoking is highly associated with oral cancer, (1) periodontal disease, (2) failure of periodontal therapy, (3,4) failure of osseointegration of dental implants, (5) dental caries, (6) oral pain, (7) and decreased oral wound healing. (8) The dental hygiene care appointment provides dental hygienists with a "teachable moment" to discuss oral health effects of tobacco, relate oral changes to tobacco use, and to deliver a brief tobacco cessation intervention. For example, the oral cancer screening and the periodontal assessment provide a unique opportunity to ask all patients whether they use tobacco, advise users to quit, assess readiness to quit, assist with the quitting process, and arrange follow-up contact to check on the client's progress with stopping tobacco use. (9) Dental hygienists are well-suited to provide effective tobacco cessation services since they are educated in oral health promotion and disease prevention, including behavioral motivation and health education. (10,11) H In addition, because they come in contact with clients over an extended period of time, dental hygienists have the opportunity to provide repeated reinforcement, which is essential for tobacco users who often experience cyclic periods of abstinence followed by relapse. (9,11)