July 29, 2010 - The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Office of Continuing Medical Education (CME), and North American Center for Continuing Medical Education (NACCME) are taking action after a survey of U.S. dentists on smoking cessation counseling produced far from ideal outcomes.

Survey results revealed that while 89% of the dentists surveyed see their patients more than once a year, 60% of the respondents do not currently have any guidelines for providing smoking cessation counseling to patients who use tobacco.  In addition, 65% of the dentists surveyed reported that less than 25% of their patients receive smoking cessation counseling by anyone on the dental team during a dental appointment.  Results have also shown that the vast majority of the dentists surveyed either never prescribe approved smoking cessation therapies or do so very infrequently.  As Victor Marrow, Executive Director of the Office of Funded Programs at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, explains, “This gap in patient care represents an opportunity to focus on awareness and education to achieve improved outcomes in very short order.”

As such, a national smoking cessation continuing education initiative is being developed by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Office of CME and NACCME.  The program will use live teleconferences, webinars, and social learning programs with expert faculty to help educate participants and make smoking cessation counseling a standard procedure in dental practice.  By doing so, the program hopes to address a huge gap in current oral health care.

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