Drug and alcohol addiction and abuse. Recognition. Prevention. Treatment
20/20 Parenting. Recognizing and mitigating early vulnerabilities and risk factors.
Drugs & Alcohol - Crystal Meth
[ Page 1 of 6 | print friendly version ]Does Methamphetamine Use Affect Dental Hygiene Care?
The rising use of illegal methamphetamines among young people in the Greater Vancouver area has been demonstrated by a survey conducted by Pacific Community Resources. A survey done in 2002 in six Lower Mainland Communities with a convenience sample of 1,936 youth between ages 12-24 found that the “average age of first use of methamphetamine was 14.5 years” and that 45% of them could obtain methamphetamine within 24 hours.3,6
Given the rapid growth in popularity of meth, its addictive nature, and the ease with which it can be obtained, the dental hygienist needs to be prepared to deal with its effects. Recreational use of methamphetamines can have extensive physical, systemic, cognitive, and behavioral effects, both during use and after cessation of use. Current discussions of methamphetamine use and its implications on dental care focus mainly on the manifestations on the dentition, or “meth mouth”. In this paper we will discuss whether the ramifications of methamphetamine abuse for dental hygiene care are greater than the visible manifestations on the dentition. In our paper, we will consider oral effects of methamphetamine abuse, and neurochemical and psychological effects of the drug, and discuss their implications for dental hygiene care. … [drug action and perceived effect on pages 1 - 2 of pdf download]
