September 2026 Branch Meeting - "E-Cigarettes/Vapinig/ENDS - is it New Zealand's Trojan Horse?"" with Dr Kim Gear

• What are e-cigarettes?
• How did they become integrated into the New Zealand health landscape?
• How do e-cigarettes compare to smoking and are they indeed a safer alternative based on the most recent data?
• What are the implications of e-cigarettes on our youth? Do they impact oral health and general health?
• How do we support people who wish to quit e-cigarettes use?

Dr Gear will also provide an update on the epidemiology of head and neck cancer in New Zealand and the changing risk profiles.

• What is head and neck cancer, and what does the epidemiology look like in New Zealand?
• Why is that epidemiology shifting - what's driving the rise in HPV-related cancers while tobacco/alcohol-related cases stay stable or decline?
• What does multidisciplinary care look like in New Zealand, and where are the gaps in access or equity?
• Who is most at risk, and how is that risk profile changing across age groups?
• What can primary and dental care do to support prevention and earlier detection, and support of patients through treatment and recovery?

About our speaker:  Dr Kim Gear  

Dr. Kim Gear is an Oral Medicine Specialist based in Auckland.

She is dual qualified in Medicine and Dentistry and holds an honours degree in microbiology.  Her dissertation for her Master of Medical Science in Oral Medicine was on the Quality of Life in Patients treated for Head and Neck Malignancies.  Dr. Gear's current research interests include E-cigarettes and vaping, Helicobacter pylori and if this has any role in oromucosal disease and the influence of vitamin and micornutrient deficiencies in oral health.  

Meeting sponsored by: