Prescribing nicotine substitutes for tobacco cessation: considerations and contraindications.

This article deals with the topic of nicotine replacement drugs and their use in smoking cessation. Questions frequently arise as to their prescription by dentists. Provided patients are carefully selected on the basis of medical and psychological profiles, there is no ethical or legal contraindication to dentists prescribing these aids. This article reviews the current literature and answers commonly asked questions concerning these effective drugs.