Rather than reiterating the well-known facts reminding patients how deadly tobacco use can be and how smoking cessation can save their teeth and lives, this article provides dental professionals with a new “twist” in how to motivate their patient toward successful outcomes in tobacco cessation. The twist includes (1) motivational interviewing – a nonjudgmental and non-confrontational method for increasing patient awareness and reducing their ambivalence, thus evoking change from within; (2) cessation resources – dispensing support and encouragement along with resources, such as quit lines, smart phone applications, and other tools that prove more effective than the “cold turkey” method for quitting; and (3) incentives – complimentary in-office whitening or free follow-up periodontal checkup at timely intervals, serving as appealing incentives to keep up the good work of tobacco cessation. This new twist can serve to advance the efforts of dental professionals in encouraging good heath behaviors in their patients.

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