The oral health workforce is underutilized for cancer prevention efforts, and many dental patients in Texas are not receiving tobacco cessation screening, referrals, or treatment. In response, this proposal prioritizes serving low-income, uninsured, and otherwise underserved dental patients in three Texas counties: Dallas, Denton, and Potter. Train-the-trainer workshops will be held in Collin, Wichita, and Jefferson Counties as well.

All three counties targeted for the on-site comprehensive tobacco cessation clinical model feature higher incidence of cancer than the Texas rates. Five of the six total counties reached are not currently served by CPRIT Tobacco Cessation projects. Curren...

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The oral health workforce is underutilized for cancer prevention efforts, and many dental patients in Texas are not receiving tobacco cessation screening, referrals, or treatment. In response, this proposal prioritizes serving low-income, uninsured, and otherwise underserved dental patients in three Texas counties: Dallas, Denton, and Potter. Train-the-trainer workshops will be held in Collin, Wichita, and Jefferson Counties as well.

All three counties targeted for the on-site comprehensive tobacco cessation clinical model feature higher incidence of cancer than the Texas rates. Five of the six total counties reached are not currently served by CPRIT Tobacco Cessation projects. Current barriers faced by dental patients in these areas include lack of cancer prevention or cessation knowledge, awareness of existing resources, cost of counseling and nicotine replacement therapies, access to treatment, and transportation to treatment. By reducing these barriers, this proposal will increase patient use of tobacco cessation services and therefore, in the long term, decrease rates of cancer incidence and mortality in Texas.

The proposed project will implement a new, comprehensive model of tobacco screening, referral, and treatment for dental patients in community clinics in Dallas County, and subsequently expand to partner sites in Denton and Amarillo. The revised clinical protocols and services will result in the availability of free screening, referral, counseling, and nicotine replacement therapy for dental patients, all at the same site. A second component of this proposal will deliver train-the-trainer workshops to dental hygiene professionals and students related to tobacco cessation. These trainings will be held in collaboration with dental hygiene programs located in East Texas, North Texas, and the Panhandle regions.

This project has three specific goals: 1. Increase access to tobacco cessation treatment for low-income and uninsured dental patients at Texas A&M College of Dentistry Public Health Sciences community dental clinics in Dallas County. 2. Expand the model of comprehensive tobacco cessation to new clinical sites in Dallas, Denton, and Potter Counties. 3. Disseminate training on comprehensive tobacco cessation services to external partner sites.

The project estimates that approximately 500 professionals will be served, and 80,500 patients will be reached through revised tobacco cessation screening, referral, and treatment protocols. Of those, an estimated 1600 patients will be served and provided cessation services (counseling and treatment).

The proposed project will have a major impact on cancer prevention and control through partnering with dental hygiene programs and community dental clinics to ensure that patients at higher risk for tobacco-related cancers can receive free and comprehensive counseling, support, and treatment on-site. To our knowledge, no similar integrated, same-site model of tobacco cessation services at dental clinics exists presently. Reduced initiation of tobacco use and increased cessation will improve patient health and lessen the disproportionate burden of cancer in Texas over time.

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