The Manhattan Tobacco Cessation Program (MTCP) at the New York University School of Medicine (NYUSM) has released Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: A Toolkit for Dental Providers. The toolkit, already at use in NYU College of Dentistry’s teaching clinics, will be distributed to dental professionals in New York State and the greater dental community nationwide.

Over the past 3 years, NYUCD clinics’ use of the Toolkit for Dental Providers has resulted in favorable smoking-cessation outcomes. In one clinic alone, the smoking rate went down from 21% to 12% from 2008 to 2011. In addition, the assist rate, which was the percentage of smoking patients that received a prescription to quit from their clinician, began at 5% in 2008 and reached its peak at 58% in 2011.

“Studies show that tobacco users who receive assistance in quitting from a clinician are twice as likely to quit successfully (for 5 or more months) compared to those who receive no clinician assistance,” said Diana Zraik, MPH, Co-Director of MTCP. “Considering that 62% of US adults visit the dentist each year, dental providers are in the unique position to address tobacco use in populations that may not otherwise seek medical care,” she said.

MTCP’s Toolkit for Dental Providers provides the concise steps and procedures for treating tobacco use in the dental setting. Available here in PDF format, the toolkit can be accessed online or printed and kept on hand for use in the dental practice.

For more information on treating tobacco use and the MTCP, please contact Diana Zraik, MPH.