Volume 9 • 2022 • Issue 2

some insurance companies have reimbursements for smoking cessation counseling, not all dentists know about it. Another barrier for some dentists is feeling unprepared to have conversations with patients about smoking. “Smoking is a complicated behaviour with many emotional and psychological aspects,” Dr. Kumar says. “And creating change is also very complex and difficult. More formal training on how to talk to patients about it would be useful.” Dr. Kumar has increasingly seen the effects of vaping in her own clinical practice. “Anecdotally, vaping seems to damage the mouth even faster than cigarettes,” she says. “I can tell right away. More inflammation. Biofilms are more visible, stickier, harder to remove.” She explains that bacteria in the mouth break down the propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin in vaping liquid and the metabolic activity of the bacteria damages teeth. “Research also shows that vaping changes the gene expression in bacteria, which changes the entire biome of the mouth,” Dr. Kumar says. Her concern about vaping is especially acute because it is more common among young people. When she looks at the historical data related to smoking, Dr. Kumar is optimistic that the advocacy of oral health care professionals can make a difference in the health of communities. “We have a real opportunity to proactively prevent oral health disease,” she says, “and we are already doing a good job.” Reference 1. Kumar P, Viola T, Frazier K, Khajotia S, Urquhart O. Smoking cessation counseling and treatment: An American Dental Association Clinical Evaluators Panel survey. J Am Dent Assoc . 2021 Oct;152(10):872-873.e2. Resources for Dentists on Smoking Cessation • Dr. Aaron Burry on CDA Oasis speaking about CDA’s updated Position Statement on Smoking and Vaping: bit.ly/33sTT1Y • CDA Position Statement on Smoking and Vaping: bit.ly/3JxAYCw • Quit Supports and Tips for Living Tobacco Free: bit.ly/3GW0WxR • ADA Mouth Healthy: Smoking, 5 Steps to Quit: bit.ly/35acYqM 27 Issue 2 | 2022 | News and Events