Blog Post #21

In the magazine, EverydayHealth.com, Connie Brichford wrote, Tobacco Use and Your Oral Health. This article is informative about oral health and the negative effects tobacco use can cause. The way the article was written, I found the discourse community being focused in a way that targets tobacco users wanting to quit as a common goal. It was stated in the article that “people often think that different forms of tobacco are "safer"”, which I felt seemed it was making people realize that tobacco is not healthy. No excuses from any tobacco user to feel righteous of their decision. In the article there were multiple solutions presented that could be helpful in the sight of wanting to quit tobacco use. The author suggests to stop smoking, get regular dental checkups, and to make sure to brush your teeth properly. This article had many inputs from sources and was medically reviewed by Niya Jones, who has both MD and MPH credentials. The author’s evidence was limited to knowledge of the medical field and not much from tobacco users. I believe that it is more credible to see a doctors opinion on quitting but a user could be more connected personally. This article was written in Dallas, Texas and was written by a doctor with a family and wouldn’t want to be harmed by everyone using tobacco products.

In the book “Tobacco Effects in the Mouth: A National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Dental Research Guide for Health Professionals” written by R. E. Mecklenburg, I found that it was insightful and worthy for professionals to read.It is written in 1992 and describes ways to examine for tobacco use or signs of issues from tobacco use. The title of the book determined that the book was directed for a group of people in the oral health department. It is important for health professionals to determine if their patient is using tobacco or not. Smokers need to visit the dental office more often than nonsmokers. The author of this book stresses the importance of dental visits for smokers. Nation wide source for all doctors that may be interested in the effects of tobacco and way to examine for tobacco use.

In the source found online, J.P. Rosseel wrote a journal titled, “Are Oral Health Complaints Related to Smoking Cessation Intentions?", which gives credible and valued statistical information about oral health issues caused by tobacco use. Rosseel’s studies prove that when dental health care workers bring awareness to their patients about the effects of smoking on oral health the number of smokers lowers greatly. His discourse community is making users of tobacco aware of the harm they are in. He is writing to research the topic and prove to users that the need to be cautious of the effects that could be harmful in the future. I found insightful information such as, “Dental health care workers who inform their patients, also known as smoking cessation interventions, are known to be very affective in lowering the amount of smokers.”

The article published in the magazine, Everyday Health discusses all of the effects smoking causes on your oral health and relates it to the smoker personally. It is a encouraging article that is directly targeting users or people who know users. It then talks about ways to help this problem by going to the dental office and getting a check up. By using doctors quotes and statistics to promote their evidence, users will recognize the harm and cut back and maybe quit using. Doctors can help figure out health issues and inform with a professional opinion but they can’t make users quit using again. It also says to quit smoking and to ask your dentist or dental hygienist about the damage you are causing when you smoke. The discourse community is towards all people interested in being more knowledgable of the subject and want to be aware of the harm to where they can possibly quit. I found this a great credible source to research from and get great ideas.