Charter Dental Practices

Dental care providers have a wide range of skills and are the most knowledgeable about oral health.  Dental teams are well placed to inform patients that stopping smoking is the best move they can make in support of their general wellbeing.  To support this crucial public health intervention ASH Scotland has teamed up with the Oral Health Foundation, British Dental Association and NHS Inform Scotland to design a stop smoking advice card.  Two-thirds of current smokers wish to quit smoking.  Thus, with such a high percentage wanting to stop smoking, the distribution of an informative advice card will provide a means for dental teams to reinforce smoking advice to their tobacco users.

A dental practice could play a larger part in preventing the biggest cause of avoidable death and ill-health in Scotland.  Of course, parents giving up smoking send a great message to children about looking after their health.

Around 50 dental practices in Scotland are being invited to sign the Charter and pilot the use of the new stop smoking cards during 2018. The learning from this initiative will inform the roll-out of future initiatives to improve stop smoking support through dentistry. If you are not part of this initial trial you may still register support for the Charter by visiting www.ashscotland.org.uk/Charter.

Dental practices could pledge to;

• review their own staff policy on tobacco, invite the local stop smoking service to provide training in brief advice
• signpost patients to smoking advice on the practice website
• seek brief advice training for the dental team
• work on a referral arrangement with the local pharmacy
• stock advice leaflets on how to quit smoking.

 The dental advice card can be viewed below and will be made more widely available in autumn 2018.