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'Meth mouth' can leave users toothless
September 22, 2006Methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive drug that can seriously damage oral health, destroying a person's smile and natural ability to chew, according to the American Dental Association (ADA).
More than 12-million Americans have tried methamphetamine (also known as meth, crank, crystal and speed), which can be swallowed, injected, snorted or smoked, according to the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The majority of users range between 18 and 34 years of age.
"Meth" users can go from having healthy teeth to extremely sensitive teeth and eventual tooth loss in about a year, warns the ADA. This condition is often called "meth mouth."
"Meth mouth robs people, especially young people of their teeth and frequently leads to full-mouth extractions and a lifetime of wearing dentures, says Robert M. Brandjord, ADA president. "Meth mouth is characterized by rampant tooth decay and teeth described by meth users as blackened, stained, rotting, crumbling or falling apart."
Dr. Brandjord explains, "The extensive tooth decay of meth mouth is attributed to the drug's dry-mouth effect and its propensity to cause cravings for high-calorie carbonated beverages, tooth grinding and clenching, and extended periods of poor oral hygiene."
"Very few people understand the broad dangers methamphetamine poses to the public health of our communities in addition to meth users themselves," says Stephen Pasierb, president and CEO, The Partnership for a Drug-Free America. "The ADA's warning should serve as a wake-up call to those who use this insidious drug as well as family and friends who are witness to this behavior, but not powerless to intervene and get the user the help they need. There is no safe level of meth use, but treatment and recovery are possible.\\\
American Dental Association
"Meth mouth robs people, especially young people of their teeth and frequently leads to full-mouth extractions and a lifetime of wearing dentures, says Robert M. Brandjord, ADA president. "Meth mouth is characterized by rampant tooth decay and teeth described by meth users as blackened, stained, rotting, crumbling or falling apart."
Dr. Brandjord explains, "The extensive tooth decay of meth mouth is attributed to the drug's dry-mouth effect and its propensity to cause cravings for high-calorie carbonated beverages, tooth grinding and clenching, and extended periods of poor oral hygiene."
"Very few people understand the broad dangers methamphetamine poses to the public health of our communities in addition to meth users themselves," says Stephen Pasierb, president and CEO, The Partnership for a Drug-Free America. "The ADA's warning should serve as a wake-up call to those who use this insidious drug as well as family and friends who are witness to this behavior, but not powerless to intervene and get the user the help they need. There is no safe level of meth use, but treatment and recovery are possible.\\\
American Dental Association
Methamphetamine Current Events and Methamphetamine News RSSAddiction treatment proves successful in animal weight loss study
Vigabatrin, a medication proposed as a potential treatment for drug addiction by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, also leads to rapid weight loss and reduced food intake according to a new animal study from the same research group.
Tests show LLNL detection instrument can monitor the air for all major terrorist threat substances
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Young adults who abuse amphetamines may be at greater risk of suffering a heart attack, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.
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Practice parameters discuss treatment for narcolepsy, other hypersomnias of central origin
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Club drugs inflict damage similar to traumatic brain injury
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U of M study: Health food supplement may curb addiction of pathological gamblers
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A drug-sensitive 'traffic cop' tells potassium channels to get lost
Our brains are buzzing with electrical activity created by sodium and potassium ions moving in and out of neurons through specialized pores. To prevent the constant chatter from descending into chaos the activity of these ion channels has to be tightly regulated.
Methamphetamine study suggests increased risk for HIV transmission
New findings that one in 20 North Carolina men who have sex with men (MSM) reported using crystal methamphetamine during the previous month suggests increased risk for spreading HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD), according to researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues.
Sewage tells tales about community-wide drug abuse
Public health officials may soon be able to flush out more accurate estimates on illegal drug use in communities across the country thanks to screening test described here today at the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
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