What is meth mouth?

The term meth mouth refers to the damaging effects of methamphetamine use on the oral cavity. Meth comes loaded with dangerous chemicals, which can result in serious health complications, such as cavities, advanced gum disease, permanent brain damage, and even death.

Impact of meth on oral health

Meth is infamous for its impact on your physical and mental health. Its effect on oral health, however, is no less severe. A few signs of meth mouth are the following.

• Smoking meth, just like tobacco, can result in yellow and stained teeth.
• Meth use can result in severe tooth decay and tooth loss. They are more likely to have these problems compared to the ones who do not use meth. Meth users are more inclined to have poor oral hygiene, a low-quality diet, and increased sugar intake. These habits can result in tooth decay and cavities.
• Meth use stimulates the brain. This stimulation can result in your grinding your teeth. Teeth grinding or clenching results in the teeth breaking or loosening, leading to the worsening of periodontal disease. This phenomenon can also result in stiff facial muscles and TMJ disorder.
• Meth use can affect salivary flow in your mouth, leading most meth users to experience dry mouth. This lack of saliva in the mouth increases the chances of tooth decay due to the prevalence of harmful bacteria in the mouth and makes it hard to swallow foods, speak.

If you or one of your family members experiences such a condition, be sure to contact a dentist immediately to get rid of the problem.

Research on meth mouth

A study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse published in the American Dental Association Journal suggests that meth users are more likely to develop problems in their teeth and gums. This study examined 571 meth users. Here are the findings of this study.

• 96% of those meth users had cavities.
• 56% of those people had untreated tooth decay.
• 23% of them had all of their natural teeth intact.
• 89% of male individuals in that study had periodontitis.
• 85% of female individuals in that study had periodontitis.
• Individuals who were persistent in smoking meth had higher rates of tooth decay and loss.

Other factors that affect the oral health of meth users include age and the frequency of drug use. Patients who were over 30 had severer dental diseases.

Treating meth mouth

The first step towards treating meth mouth is to encourage the patient to get rid of this addition. The information regarding how to treat this addiction is available from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This authority is open for contact round the clock.

Once the patient is heading towards recovery, he can consult a dentist to get rid of dental problems resulted from the meth use. The dentist will examine the level of damage and suggest a treatment.