**SPONSORED CONTENT WRITTEN BY DR. GRACE LEE, GRACE DENTAL**
As a professional that provides care for those who ruin their teeth by abusing methamphetamine, shows such as “Breaking Bad,” don’t go far enough, in my view to portray the true horrors of meth use.
Meth (also known on the street as crystal meth, Tina, ice and glass) can be ingested in many ways including smoking, injecting or swallowing. According to the Center for Disease Control, use is increasing in some areas of the country and because it is cheap, it’s often abused by young people.
Recently, a sweet young lady came into my office with tears in her eyes explaining how she wound up in rehab after abusing meth for years. What was left of her remaining teeth was broken almost up to the gum line. Typical of meth users, she had what is called ‘meth mouth.’ We ended up making her dentures at age 22. It is heart breaking that she now has to live with dentures for the rest life.
As a dentist with seven years of practice in Clarksville, I have encountered several patients that abuse methamphetamines. The devastating effects of methamphetamine include weight loss, skin lesions, paranoia and of course tooth decay.
The oral effects can easily be recognized due to their distinct odor and patterns of decay, including decay on the cheek sides of the teeth and around the gum margins.
From the oral health perspective, the accelerated and rampant decay from meth abuse can be devastating. Some additional characteristics of “meth mouth” are as follows:
• Serious tooth pain from severe decay, enamel erosion, and gum disease (acidic contents like battery acid, antifreeze, hydrochloric acid, ephedrine, and drain cleaner disintegrates teeth)
• Cravings for sugar and sugary carbonated beverages (detrimental to teeth; their favorite is Mountain Dew)
• Poor nutrition (cravings for fatty, greasy junk food)
• Weight loss (malnourished appearance)
• Fast aging process
• Lack of dental hygiene (neglect to brush or floss for a long period of time; not brushing because it’s too painful to scrub the “little black stubs”)
• Drug-induced dry mouth or “cotton mouth” (narrows the blood vessels in salivary glands)
• Bruxism (grinding of teeth) and clenching from stress and lack of sleep
• Jaw and neck pain and trismus (inability to open the jaw)
• Bad breath and frequent vomiting
• Smoking-related health issues (94% of meth users are smokers)
• Difficulty getting numb (combination of local anesthetic and meth can cause cardiac problems)
For dentists, meth mouth is very difficult to treat, especially without the commitment to stop using the drug. Some users are afraid to see a dentist because they want to avoid the discussion.
However, as with all things, prevention is the best medicine. As a precaution for those who may find themselves confronted with the choice of using or not using, consider this: Meth is a dangerous drug that will give you rotten teeth, red, swollen gums, and yellow plaque coating the teeth in addition to the psychological and other health problems outlined above. It’s my hope anyone reading this will heed the warning spare themselves the pain, just say NO.
Dr. Grace Lee had been serving the Clarksville dental community for the past 7 years. Follow her at www.facebook.com/gracedentaltn **Grace Dental, www.gracedentaltn.com, 304 Providence Blvd, Clarksville, (931) 648-4100**