From brown and smelly to white and fresh: the new face of nicotine and its effects on oral and overall health

With flavours like “Pink Spritz” and “Icy Watermelon”, new nicotine and tobacco products are marketed to attract teenagers and young adults. This webinar offers insights into these products, with a special focus on nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes. We will look at the health effects, both general and dental-related. You will receive practical tools for talking to your patients (both children and adults) about the use of these products. We will also provide clinically relevant tips and tools you can apply immediately in your daily practice to make every dental visit an opportunity to help your patients.

Aims

• To provide evidence-based strategies for helping patients not to start, or quit using nicotine products.
• To enhance communication and cooperation with patients during dental visits.
• To promote preventive approaches that support long-term oral and overall health in patients.

Learning outcomes

After completing the webinar, participants will be able to:

• Apply practical techniques to help patients not to start and to quit harmful behaviours, such as nicotine use.
• Communicate more effectively with patients to foster trust and cooperation.
• Implement preventive strategies tailored to the needs of young patients.

About the speaker

Johanna Reuterving Smajic is a registered dental hygienist with a keen focus on nicotine and tobacco products, especially their impact on children and young adults.

She is committed to highlighting the tobacco industry’s influence and the serious health risks posed by their products, aiming to protect the oral and overall health of patients of all ages.

Johanna is an accomplished lecturer, regularly presenting at conferences both nationally and internationally to audiences such as students and dental professionals.

As a board member of Dentistry Against Tobacco, she works to disseminate evidence-based information, educate the public, and influence policy by sharing research and clinical insights on the dangers of nicotine and tobacco use.

Her experience includes clinical tobacco cessation work, and she now imparts this knowledge to students through training courses and lectures.