Course Description:
Tobacco use widely impacts oral and systemic health, with more diseases and mechanisms reported with each new Surgeon General’s Report. This presentation provides an overview of the impact of tobacco on oral and systemic health, and specifically addresses mechanisms of action by which smoked and smokeless tobacco affect risk and oral disease progression. An overview of the evidence for improvements in oral and systemic health following tobacco cessation is discussed, followed by the available evidence on the role, safety and efficacy of nicotine replacement therapy and other tobacco cessation products will be examined. Results of tobacco cessation programs in the dental office are also discussed.