1050-6934/12 $35.00 © 2012 by Begell House, Inc. 323 Journal of Long-Term Efects of Medical Implants, 22(4): 323–328 (2012) Dental Implantation: An Opportunity to Stop Smoking Mahdi Kadkhodazadeh, 1 R Amid, 1,* Fatemeh Mollaverdi, 2 & Omid Amirbandeh 3 1 Periodontics Department, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Evin, Tehran, Iran; 2 Operative Dentistry Department, Dental School, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran; 3 Periodontics Department, Dental School, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran *Address all correspondence to: Reza Amid DDS, MS; Assistant Professor, Periodontics Department, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti Univer- sity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Tel.: 00989124660495; Fax: 00982122190224; mahdi@kadkhodazadeh.ir ABSTRACT: Cigarette smoking and tobacco consumption are serious hazards threatening the health of human beings. Several strategies have been proposed for smoking cessation in patients presenting to medical centers to seek treatment. Some believe that the dental profession plays a key role in quit smoking programs due to its extensive and long-term relationship with patients. Use of known strategies to create motivation for quitting smoking among patients has yielded relatively optimal results. However, it seems that patients’ attitudes toward smoking can be changed if we enhance their knowledge about the hazards of tobacco consumption and its adverse efects on dental and oral health and especially the health of den- tal implants’ surrounding structures. Tis study reports smoking cessation in two patients requiring dental implant treatment. Twenty-eight months after loading of implants, treatment success was confrmed by use of clinical and radiographic indices. No sign of peri-implant disease was detected and the patients were eagerly following the smoking cessation program. It seems that contemporary dental treatments, especially dental implant therapy, can provide a good opportunity to create the motivation required for lifestyle changes in patients. KEY WORDS: dental implants, cigarette smoking, peri-implant disease, lifestyle I. INTRODUCTION Tobacco consumption has resulted in poor general health and subsequent preventable morbidity and mortality among smokers globally. It is estimated that tobacco consumption, especially cigarette smok- ing, will become the main cause of morbidity and mortality in 2030. 1 Approximately half the smokers die as the result of smoking-related diseases. Tere is neither a limit for risk-free smoking nor a safe tobacco product. Smoking has been recognized as a risk factor for dental and oral diseases. Its spec- trum of adverse efects varies from changed appearance to fatal neoplasms. Mucosal diseases, halitosis, and periodontal diseases pose serious health conditions. Additionally, tooth loss and bad breath result in a signifcant decrease in patients’ quality of life and sour their personal and social relationships and interactions. At present, implant therapy is considered as a predictable treatment option among the general popu- lation; however, there are certain factors that can increase the risk of implant failure – . 2–4 According to the 2008 National Health Interview Survey estimate, there are 24.8 million male and 21.1 million female smokers. Available studies on the relationship between cigarette smoking and dental implants currently suggest that it would be best to advise patients to quit smoking completely, but if this approach is not ten-