Many Meth Users Have Dental Problems
March 17, 2010

By Nancy Volkers
InteliHealth News Service

INTELIHEALTH - More than 4 of every 10 meth users have dental or oral health problems, a study has found.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, did the study. They collected information from 301 people. All of them were regular users of methamphetamine (meth).

More than 12 million Americans have used this drug at least once. It is a powerful stimulant.

Researchers compared information on meth users with information on people who were otherwise similar but did not use meth.

The average age of a meth user in the study was 36 or 37 years old. Most had completed high school. About 62% were female, and 70% were white.

About 44% of meth users said they had broken or loose teeth. And 60% were missing at least one tooth. On average, users were missing twice as many teeth as people who did not use meth.

About 13% had dentures. The authors noted that this was a high number for such a young group of people.

About 20% of meth users said they currently had tooth-related pain. About 70% said they had ever had tooth-related pain. Meth users appeared not to seek treatment and lived with their tooth pain. The average length of time a meth user had tooth pain was just over 2½ years.

Three-fourths of meth users said they didn't like the way their teeth looked. The authors said that fixing cosmetic problems may improve self-image. They said this could be one route to triggering treatment or intervention for substance abuse.

Methamphetamine is known to be associated with dental problems. These can include stained, blackened and decayed teeth. The condition "meth mouth" refers to such problems. Other researchers have suggested that smoking meth dries up the mouth, or that the acidic chemicals in the smoke may destroy teeth But this study found more dental problems among users who injected the drug, rather than snorting or smoking it. The authors suggest that injecting users may be more heavily addicted and this may make them less likely to pay attention to oral hygiene.

The study appears in the March issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.