Overview

If a person’s teeth decay at a faster rate, meth mouth could result and usually happens in people who use meth. The teeth of such people become very black and heavily stained and appear rotten and are likely to fall out at any time. Whenever there is a normal cavity in a person, it occurs in the back of the mouth, as well as in the grooves of the teeth. This is mainly due to the fact that these surfaces are difficult to clean. On the other hand, a meth user’s tooth decay occurs in their front teeth and also along the relatively easy-to-clean surfaces of the gum line. The rate of dental caries in a meth user is much faster than in a non-meth user.

history of methmouth

The name meth mouth was coined during the period 2004-2005. This was a major problem for the prison staff who were responsible for processing new inmates for the city jail. Rampant tooth decay has existed long before the year 2004 in these people; however, it was found that there has been a sharp increase in people who have rampant caries. In addition, many of these people were also found to have rampant caries and ANUG compared to previous years. On closer examination it was found that these people who had a combination of rampant caries and ANUG were methamphetamine addicts.

Side Effects of Methamphetamines on Dental Health

• lifestyle effects – People who use methamphetamine neglect their personal/oral hygiene, eat less food, sleep less, and drink more sugary foods and soft drinks. Poor oral hygiene leads to gum infections and periodontal disease. The consumption of non-nutritious foods and insomnia weaken the immune system, which affects its resistance to gum disease. Sugary foods and soft drinks will convert plaque to acid and thus cause cavities.
• physiological effects – Methamphetamine dehydrates your body, so it makes you drink soda or other soft drinks that contain sugar. Further dehydration causes dry mouth. The methamphetamine addict lacks appetite and because of this his body craves the energy it gets from drinking soda and soft drinks that contain sugar.

Signs and symptoms

The symptoms are: fever, malaise and nausea, pain in the gums when eating, headaches, neck and jaw pain and severe toothache, while the signs are: dental abscesses, attrition of the teeth, bad breath , broken teeth, rampant caries and recurrent ANUG.

Users and non-users of methamphetamine

Normally, people associate meth mouth with methamphetamine addiction. This is not true. Methamphetamine addiction can also occur with increased stress, poor maintenance of oral health, poor nutrition, and high sugar intake. Both users and non-users of meth may or may not have meth mouth and this is mainly due to the fact that meth mouth is caused by poor oral hygiene and not by the toxic chemicals in the drug.

The likelihood of having meth mouth decreases for a meth user as long as they maintain good oral hygiene through proper brushing and flossing and also avoid drinking sugary drinks. Methamphetamine addicts are susceptible to dry mouth, xerostomia, which will cause tooth decay, enamel erosion, and periodontal disease.

Treatment

Treatment for meth mouth depends on the current conditions of the meth user’s teeth. If the problem is taken care of in time, it is possible to save some teeth. In practice, however, these people go to the dentist only when the damage caused is severe, requiring tooth extraction and partial or full dentures.

If a meth user is anxious about their mouth condition, they should take meth addiction treatment before attempting to take mouth treatment. People who use methamphetamine will be affected by dry mouth, causing them to drink more and more fluids. In such circumstances, they should drink more water and avoid drinking sugary carbonated beverages.

It is possible to reduce the rate of progression of meth mouth if you practice good dental hygiene: brushing, flossing and fluoride mouthwash and frequent professional cleaning.