A routine dental appointment gives oral health staff a chance to ask about vaping while discussing a patient's care.
Only 29 per cent of surveyed oral health professionals said they had enough knowledge to offer vaping cessation advice and support. The new free course takes aim at that gap.
Oral Health Victoria and the University of Melbourne Dental School launched Vaping and Oral Health, described as an Australian-first online learning module. Dentists and specialists can take the course. It is also designed for oral health therapists and dental hygienists. Oral health educators are included.
The Australian Dental Association identifies improving the oral and general health of the population, alongside supporting safe, quality dental care, as core aims.
Training built around clinical conversations
University of Melbourne Dental School Associate Professor and oral medicine specialist Tami Yap said regular dental visits give oral health teams a chance to raise vaping with patients. The module is designed to help clinicians answer questions and address myths. It also points them toward ways to connect patients with support to quit.
The course explains vape regulations. It covers how to recognise smoking and vaping behaviours, then how to identify potential harm to oral health. It also addresses risks to general health. Interactive knowledge checks and case studies let participants apply the material to clinical scenarios.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has reported enforcement against unlawful importation and advertising of prescription-only medicines. This is wider regulatory context, not a finding specific to vaping. The TGA says therapeutic goods generally must be included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods before they can be lawfully advertised. The rule also applies to importation and supply, unless an authorisation or exemption applies, as described in its TGA enforcement update.
The available search results do not independently confirm whether Vaping and Oral Health has since been expanded or evaluated. Australian Department of Health materials identified in the search concern other programmes and do not establish the module's current status.
A practical response to a reported skills gap
Researchers shaped the course using a national baseline survey of practitioners. The survey examined knowledge and perceptions relating to e-cigarettes. It also looked at practitioners' practices. Interviews with oral health professionals informed the work as well. The research pointed to ways to strengthen clinicians' knowledge. It also identified a need to build confidence and improve practice when discussing vaping. Oral Health Victoria director of population health Clare Lin said professionals had asked for accessible, high-quality education tailored to their clinical work.
The Australian Dental Association says community prevention programmes may include oral-hygiene education. They may explain links between oral and general health. They may also offer help to quit tobacco, as outlined in its Healthier Smiles grant programme. That description is not a separate assessment of vaping-related harm.
Oral health outreach has also taken community-based forms, including a Connecticut initiative. This Victorian course instead prepares clinicians for patient conversations. It takes around 60 to 90 minutes to complete. The module works on desktop computers. Tablets and mobile devices are supported.
