Should oral health promotion efforts be integrated into state tobacco quitline programs? A survey of callers to the Washington State Quitline

Integrating oral health promotion counseling into state tobacco quitline programs--which are currently operating in all 50 states--is an innovative strategy that could potentially maximize the reach and impact of oral health promotion efforts among tobacco users. Tobacco users are at particularly high risk for oral diseases. In order to assess the need and acceptability of integrating oral health promotion into existing tobacco quitlines, we surveyed a representative sample of adult WA State quitline callers (N = 816). Respondents were mostly female (61.9%); white non-Hispanic (79.9%); and had low levels of education and income (51.5% ≤ high school degree; 61.7% < $20,000/year). Only 16% of dentate respondents reported meeting standard oral hygiene recommendations, and less than half visited a dentist in the past year. Nearly 80% of dentate adults reported flossing less than daily (32.4% reported never flossing), and about 30% reported brushing less than twice a day. These oral hygiene rates persisted regardless of dental insurance status. A majority of respondents reported interest in a quitline-based oral health promotion program, if offered in the future. Overall, the results of this survey suggest that tobacco users calling the WA quitline represent an important target group for oral health intervention and that most would be receptive to this intervention. A quitline-based oral health intervention may help improve oral health behaviors and related outcomes among this high-risk population, who otherwise report limited access to oral health care. Implications of study findings for further research will be discussed.