Elective in Clinical Tobacco Cessation
Counseling
Course Number: TCC 189
Course Director: Dr. Romito
Credit Hours: 1
Semester/Year of Course: Fall Year 4
Spring Year 4
Course Purpose:
The purpose of the proposed course is to give the student a
deeper understanding of the nature of nicotine addiction,
improve and practice communication skills necessary for tobacco
cessation counseling of dental patients. This course provides
the student an opportunity to integrate tobacco-related concepts
learned in previous years of the pre-doctoral curriculum and
apply them in the clinical setting to actually facilitate
tobacco cessation in their patient population. As such, it
serves as a capstone experience
Goals:
1. Enhance understanding of nicotine addiction
2. Enhance understanding of counseling methods for tobacco
cessation
3. Practice communication skills /counseling techniques for
tobacco cessation
4. Develop a personalized tobacco cessation treatment plan based
on patient characteristics and needs
5. Enhance student ability and confidence in engaging in tobacco
cessation activities
Educational Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Understand the purpose of the Tobacco Assessment
Questionnaire (TAQ) in cessation counseling
2. Understand the basic physiologic and psychological concepts
of nicotine addiction
3. Given a specific patient’s history, identify the significant
medical and oral health implications of tobacco use
4. Explain the Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence Score, Horn
Psychological Test, Zung Depression Assessment and the AUDIT
Screening and given a specific patient, correlate findings from
these assessment tools.
5. Understand the basic components of tobacco cessation
counseling and specific communication techniques involved
6. Formulate a personalized cessation plan for a patient, based
on assessment results, that addresses the patients’
physiological and psychological needs.
7. After presenting the cessation plan to the patient, develop
strategies for and implement a follow-through plan with that
patient.
8. Reflect on the importance of tobacco cessation within the
practice setting and formulate an implementation plan for the
dental
office team.