The empire challenge: statewide initiative linking the role of dental hygienists to tobacco dependence treatment.

PURPOSE The primary goal of this 3 year grant-funded pilot project was to determine if a specialized training program could increase the number of dental hygienists in New York state who routinely address tobacco use with their patients. METHODS A training program based on the 2000 Clinical Practice Guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, was developed to educate licensed and registered dental hygienists in New York. Outcome data are from cross-sectional surveys conducted before and after the training and from the New York State Smokers' Quitline. RESULTS The formal training program was associated with a significant increase in the percentage of a sample of hygienists routinely addressing tobacco use and dependence with their patients. An increased number of calls to the Quitline were generated. CONCLUSION A comprehensive training program based on accepted clinical guidelines, which included increased accessibility to free supplies, was associated with an increase in the proportion of dental hygienists who routinely address tobacco use and dependence with their patients.