Interventions for tobacco cessation in the dental setting

Tobacco cessation counselling interventions delivered by dental professionals may be effective in helping both cigarette smokers and smokeless tobacco users to quit.

A Cochrane review included 14 clinical trials assessing the efficacy of interventions in the dental office or a school community setting. Six studies evaluated the effectiveness of interventions among smokeless tobacco (ST) users, and 8 studies evaluated interventions among cigarette smokers. All studies employed behavioural interventions and included an oral examination component. Only one offered pharmacotherapy as an interventional component. Interventions conducted by oral health professionals increased tobacco abstinence rates (odds ratio [OR] 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI]1.44 to 2.03; 14 trials) at 6 months or longer. Heterogeneity was evident (I² = 61%) and could not be adequately explained through subgroup or sensitivity analyses.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (inadequate or unclear allocation concealment, lack of blinding) and by inconsistency (variability in results across studies).

Ədəbiyyat

1. Carr AB, Ebbert JO. Interventions for tobacco cessation in the dental setting. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2006 Jan 25;(1):CD005084 [Review content assessed as up-to-date: 1 November 2011].