Chances are, if you are a smoker, you are probably fed up to your back teeth with healthcare professionals lecturing you on the health benefits of giving up. While giving up smoking is a great step towards improving your overall health, it is considered one of the hardest things to do without the correct help.
Statistically, people who have help from multiple healthcare professionals are more successful in quitting this habit and have better long term outcomes thanks to medical intervention.
It may seem strange to approach a dental professional when you are trying to quit smoking, but remember, smoking impacts on your oral health too and so many dental surgeries are now offering help to their patients.
At Benhill Dental Practice, our team is proud to be able to offer smoking cessation in Sutton and are eager to provide advice and support to our patients who are wanting to give up smoking for good!
So, what are the benefits of attending Benhill Dental Practice for help with smoking cessation in Sutton? Read on to find out!
Referrals and advice
As previously mentioned, when you choose to give up smoking, you are more likely to succeed long term with appropriate medical help and advice. Our dental team, who specialise in smoking cessation in Sutton, can refer you to external stop smoking centres or groups if required, and provide you with targeted advice on the best ways to give up smoking in a non judgemental way.
We are aware that while there is a physical addiction to manage, there may be an underlying psychological aspect too. If this is the case, we can advise you on how to manage both and provide you with information about local counselling groups.
Open communication
After we have assessed your mouth, we will highlight to you the concerns we may have and break them down for you in a jargon free manner. We will not use shock tactics to scare you into quitting but will talk you through the benefits and explain how stopping smoking will improve any dental issues that we may have identified. Our team will also explore your reasons for wanting to quit and provide you with the motivation you need when you are feeling overwhelmed.
Very Brief Advice or VBA
As mentioned earlier, you have probably heard a million times from healthcare professionals the health benefits of giving up smoking and the dangers of not doing so. Research shows that long, drawn out lectures have no impact on an individual’s ability to quit smoking, so cessation teams in dental surgeries are now implementing the ‘Very Brief Advice’ or VBA tactic.
This consists of a member of our team highlighting the issues associated with smoking in an informative, non-judgemental manner and then signposting you to appropriate services, all in under 30 seconds! By not making a big thing out of your smoking habit and leaving the ball in your court so to speak, you are more likely to contact external cessation services or attend our surgery for further help and advice.