The purpose of this Clinical Update is to provide information to aid the dental team in tobacco intervention and cessation efforts for their patients. Epidemiology Tobacco use, both smoked and smokeless, continues to be a major health behavior problem in the Navy and Marine Corps. The menthol component of cigarettes adds an additional risk since menthol allows deeper lung penetration of tobacco smoke, leading to a greater risk of deadly small-cell lung cancer. The nicotine present in tobacco is the addictive component that enhances habit formation. It is as addictive as opiates.
Smokeless tobacco is as dangerous as smoked tobacco.
It has more nicotine by weight than smoked tobacco and is therefore considered more addictive. Smokeless tobacco also produces additional carcinogens when mixed with saliva. Extra care must be taken when working with smokeless tobacco cessation due to the heavier addiction to nicotine. The current fad with cigars is considered to be extremely dangerous. The average cigar is the diameter of your index finger and has 6 times the nicotine of a cigarette.