While the rate of smoking has certainly gone down since the mid-1960s, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that the current rate of adults who use combustible tobacco products is still nearly 18 percent.

Additionally, almost 1 in 5 high school students use tobacco products and around 480,000 people die each year as a result of smoking. This totals about 1,300 deaths every day.

Dentists have a unique opportunity to educate their patients about the dangers of tobacco use as oral cancer screenings have become a normal part of most preventive dental care appointments in practices across the country.

Dental professionals who are interested in learning more about their role in addressing tobacco use with their patients can attend a no-cost webinar on July 31. The ADA Council on Advocacy for Access and Prevention and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are collaborating for the presentation, which offers one hour of continuing education credit.

Webinar participants will hear from a former smoker, Rebecca, who lost several teeth in part from smoking. She is part of the CDC's Tips From Former Smokers campaign, which this year also includes the story of a woman who previously smoked and was diagnosed with oral cancer.

The webinar will also address the logistics of interaction between dental team members and tobacco users, and strategies patients can use when looking to quit tobacco products. Perhaps most importantly, attendees will also learn tobacco use cessation strategies from a dentist who has helped thousands of tobacco users quit for good.

Other webinar presenters will include Dr. Larry Williams, an associate professor at Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine and advocate for tobacco cessation; Casey Hannan, a branch chief in health sciences for the CDC; and Shelley Hammond, a health communications specialist with the CDC.

To register for the webinar, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. to noon Central Time on July 31, click here.

Dentists can also direct patients interested in quitting smoking to its "How to Quit Smoking" section of the website at CDC.gov/tips, which includes details on how to develop and stick to a quit plan.