Training and resources for oral health professionals

Quitting smoking is the best thing a person can do for their health, and also their oral health. A brief advice conversation with a client about their smoking is quick and effective. 

In conjunction with health professionals, we have adapted a 3-step brief advice model: Ask, Advise, Help (AAH). It focuses on identifying people who smoke and helping them access best practice care. Best practice care is a combination of pharmacotherapy and multi-session behavioural intervention through Quitline.

• Ask all clients about smoking status and document this in their case file.
• Advise all clients who smoke about the best way to quit and why this is important.
• Help by offering referral to behavioural intervention through Quitline (13 7848), and help clients to access smoking cessation pharmacotherapy, such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).

We have tailored this online course especially for oral health professionals and it has been designed with all members of the dental team in mind.  

The training aims to equip the sector with the skills and confidence to deliver best practice smoking cessation brief advice to clients.  

Duration: Approximately 1 hour 

Cost: 

• Training is free for VIC, SA and WA learners 
• A registration fee of $20 applies for other states and territories

Learning objectives: 

• Understand who is smoking and which priority populations have higher rates of smoking
• Understand the negative impacts of smoking on health outcomes including oral health
• Know how to provide fast, simple and effective brief advice in a supportive, non-judgemental manner
• Understand the important role of multi-session behavioural intervention (such as Quitline) and how to refer
• Understand the different smoking cessation pharmacotherapy options available
• Know what additional resources are available to help you support clients who smoke.

Certification: Printable certificate

Quitline is a confidential, evidenced-based telephone counselling service. Highly trained Quitline specialists use behaviour change techniques and motivational interviewing over multiple calls to help people plan, make and sustain a quit attempt. By referring clients to Quitline you help them access free support and increase the chance that they will be able to make a successful quit attempt. 

There are two ways to refer clients to Quitline:

• Quitline fax referral sheet
• Online referral form.

We have worked with oral health professionals and consumers to develop resources to help you help your clients stop smoking. You can order these through the Quit resource order form.

• Waiting room resources, such as the Did you know your oral health professional can help you quit smoking? poster.
• Smoking and the mouth factsheet

• Quitline Referral Information pamphlet to explain what happens once clients are referred to the Quitline.
• Smoking and the health of your mouth, teeth and gum brochure.
• Factsheets on various topics, including Smoking and the Mouth 
• The benefits of quitting poster and postcard prompt clients to seek help and advice.
• The Quit for Cash adult and youth postcards and poster help people see how much they could save and are great to use as a motivational tool.
• Use this Nicotine replacement therapy brochure and poster to support clients.
• Complete the personalised your stop smoking plan with your clients.
  
• My Quit Plan brochure and What I Can Do To Stop Smoking wallet card can be used to help clients stay on track.

Tobacco in Australia: Facts and Issues is a comprehensive review of the major issues in smoking and health in Australia, compiled by Cancer Council Victoria.

Not only can the AAH model be used by individual oral health professionals in their everyday interactions with clients, it can also be used to guide organisation-wide change to systematically embed smoking cessation care into routine practice. Read more.