You can make it happen! It’s time to quit smoking! How do you quit using tobacco? Radiance Dental Hygiene will be your back bone during this process.

• Set a date in the near future. This will allow you time to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally. Choose a time when stress will be lower.
• Tell your family, friends and co-workers that you are quitting. Building a support system will improve your chances of quitting successfully.
• Investigate and use all resources available to you, such as brochures, websites, and books.
• Tell your dental health professional or physician you are quitting. Not only can they provide guidance and support, they can recommend tobacco cessation medication.
• Avoid environments or situations that could tempt you, or put you in contact with people that smoke.
• Anticipate triggers to tobacco and be prepared in avoiding them. Chew sugarless gum, go for a walk or pick up a hobby to distract you.
• Reward yourself for reaching small goals. For example: treat yourself to a nice meal with family or friends to celebrate one week of being smoke-free.
• Put the money you would normally spend on tobacco in a jar. At every 3 or 6 months, take that money and spend it on something for yourself such as a new wardrobe! Or even a vacation, you deserve it!

Tips to making quitting easier:

1.    Drink cold water with crushed ice if possible
2.    Deep breaths: Close your eyes, take a slow deep breath from nostrils, hold for 2 seconds, then exhale from your mouth slowly
3.    Delay the urge to smoke: Put it off for a few minutes
4.    Do something else: Try a different activity, exercise, stay with family and friends
5.    Keep a diary of how much and where you smoke
6.    Make your home and car smoke-free

Changes you will experience after quitting

1.    After 20 minutes:  Your pulse and blood pressure return to normal
2.    After 8 hours:  Carbon monoxide levels in your blood drop
3.    After 24 hours:  Your chance of having a heart attack drops
4.    After 72 hours:  You can smell and taste better and breathing becomes easier
5.    After 2 weeks to 3 months:  Your circulation becomes easier and your lung functioning
increases by up to 30 percent
6.    After 6 months:  Coughing, sinus congestion, tiredness and shortness of breath improve
7.    After 1 year:  You have cut your risk of heart disease in half
8.    After 10 years:  The risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half
9.    After 15 years:  Your risk of dying from a heart attack is equal to that of a person who never smoked. You will also lower your chances of getting cancers of the tongue, mouth, larynx, throat and esophagus.

These facts are based on materials adapted from the Canadian Cancer Society, Centre of
addiction and Mental Health, the Government of Ontario, and the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control