Experts at the 2026 Tobacco Cessation Workshop have urged dentists and other oral health professionals to take an active role in helping smokers quit tobacco, stressing that dental clinics provide a critical opportunity for detecting tobacco-related harm and supporting cessation.

They said dentists should go beyond documenting patients’ smoking status and use routine dental visits for cessation interventions, noting that tobacco use is a major preventable cause of disease that affects virtually every aspect of oral health.

Dr Abimbola Balogun, a consultant family dentist and tobacco cessation advocate who spoke at the workshop organised by the Nigerian Dental Association in collaboration with the FDI World Dental Federation, said the mouth is often the first place where the damaging effects of tobacco become visible.

She described tobacco use as a major and preventable threat to oral health, linking it to tooth discolouration, bad breath, periodontal disease, tooth mobility, tooth loss, impaired wound healing, dental implant failure, and oral cancer.

Balogun warned that cigarettes, cigars, pipes, shisha, and e-cigarettes expose users to harmful chemicals, stressing that e-cigarettes should not be regarded as risk-free alternatives.

According to her, tobacco cessation can significantly improve treatment outcomes, including periodontal healing and dental implant survival.

She also called for stronger tobacco-control measures, including restrictions on tobacco advertising, smoke-free public spaces, effective packaging regulations, and appropriate regulation of emerging nicotine products.

Professor Olusola Ibiyemi, a professor of Community Dentistry, highlighted stimulus avoidance and stimulus replacement as practical tools for smoking cessation.

He urged smokers to identify triggers and replace smoking with healthier habits such as drinking water, chewing sugar-free gum, exercising, deep breathing, meditating, and keeping their hands busy.

He also advocated counselling, support systems, and, where appropriate, nicotine replacement therapy and other cessation medications. Ibiyemi called for smoking cessation clinics in dental facilities and urged researchers to develop culturally relevant Nigerian solutions.

He stressed that relapse should not be seen as failure but as an opportunity to reassess the quitting strategy and try again.

“Interventions are powerful,” he said, challenging dental professionals to explore indigenous practices, community support, and culturally relevant strategies to help more Nigerians quit tobacco.

Dr Francis Fagbule, a public health dentist and Tobacco Control and Oral Health Promotion Specialist, called for Nigeria to urgently strengthen access to tobacco cessation services and move from having policies on paper to effective implementation.

Fagbule explained that tobacco remains one of the world’s major public health challenges, with millions of deaths annually from tobacco-related diseases, including deaths caused by second-hand smoke.

Although global progress has been recorded, he said tobacco use remains widespread, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

According to him, more than 60 per cent of tobacco users indicate a desire to quit, but addiction and limited access to effective cessation support remain major barriers.

He stressed that smokers should not be blamed for lacking “willpower”, urging healthcare professionals to recognise nicotine dependence as an addiction requiring structured support.

He advocated combining behavioural counselling with pharmacotherapy, alongside follow-up, text-based support, and other cessation tools.

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He identified major gaps in Nigeria, including the absence of a dedicated national tobacco quit line, limited access to affordable cessation medicines, inadequate service coordination, and insufficient confidence among some healthcare workers to provide cessation support.

Fagbule said Nigeria already has the National Tobacco Control Act of 2015 and National Tobacco Control Regulations of 2019 but stressed that stronger implementation is needed.

He called for greater attention to adolescents and emerging nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, warning against uncritical claims that these products are effective cessation tools.

He said dentists are uniquely positioned to support tobacco cessation because they see patients repeatedly and can directly observe the oral consequences of tobacco use.

According to him, the challenge is no longer knowing what works but ensuring that proven interventions are consistently implemented.

“We know what works. The gap is implementation,” he said, calling on dental professionals to seize the opportunity to make a measurable impact on tobacco use in Nigeria.

Earlier, the chairman of the workshop and deputy vice-chancellor (academic) at the University of Ibadan, Professor Juwon Arotiba, urged stakeholders to move the fight against tobacco use beyond discussions to concrete action.

Arotiba said dentists are uniquely positioned to lead tobacco-control efforts because they are often among the first health professionals to detect tobacco-related conditions, including oral cancer, periodontal disease, tooth loss, and impaired healing.

He added that academia has an important role in generating research, educating practitioners, and providing evidence to shape effective public-health policies.

The University of Ibadan don called for stronger policy advocacy, community education, clinical cessation programs, and research collaborations to reduce tobacco use, particularly among young Nigerians.

Arotiba urged participants to ensure that the workshop produces measurable outcomes rather than ending with discussions alone.

“Let us leave here not only informed but also inspired to act,” he said, stressing that the fight against tobacco is ultimately a fight for life, better health, and the future of Nigeria.