eng Science and Education Publishing American Journal of Public Health Research 2327-6703 2026-09-16 14 5 150 159 10.12691/ajphr-14-5-1 AJPHR20261451 article Dr. Vikram Shad 1 Dr. Unseba 2 Dr. Archana Nimale 3 Dr. Sruthi Kalakota 4 Dr. Alasifa Arshad 5 Dr. Syeda Batool Zahra 6 Dr. Hamedullah Rahimi 7 Dr Ridhi Bhola 8 Dr.Sandeep Singh 8 DMD, MPH, BDS, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA BDS, Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan BDS, RDH, Government Dental College, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India BDS, Drs. Sudha & Nageswara Rao Siddartha Institute of Dental Sciences, Andhra Pradesh, India BDS, RDH, Baqai Dental college, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan BDS, Islamic International Dental College, Islamabad, Pakistan MD, Herat University - Afghanistan MDS, Postgraduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Rohtak, India Tobacco use remains one of the leading preventable causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and continues to pose a major challenge to oral and public health. In recent years, the growing popularity of alternative nicotine delivery systems, including electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches, has further complicated tobacco control efforts and raised concerns regarding their long-term effects on oral health. This comprehensive review summarizes the current evidence on the biological mechanisms through which tobacco and nicotine products contribute to oral diseases, including dental caries, periodontal disease, oral potentially malignant disorders, oral cancer, impaired wound healing, and complications affecting implant and prosthodontic outcomes. The review also compares the oral health effects of conventional and emerging tobacco products and highlights the influence of social determinants on tobacco-related oral health disparities. Particular emphasis is placed on the expanding role of dental professionals in tobacco prevention and cessation through evidence-based behavioral interventions, pharmacotherapy, patient education, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Finally, emerging innovations such as artificial intelligence, teledentistry, mobile health, salivary diagnostics, and precision public health are discussed as promising approaches to strengthen tobacco cessation and improve population oral health. https://pubs.sciepub.com/ajphr/14/5/1/ajphr-14-5-1.pdf Tobacco Nicotine Oral health Tobacco cessation Dental professionals Public health Electronic cigarettes Periodontal disease Oral cancer