Meth Mouth
My dental hygienist had never heard of it. After all, those who use this stuff aren't necessarily the kind that makes their regular six month prophy visits. I saw this first on a NYTimes piece, with a really sad photo (which I snagged, but somehow, it doesn't mesh well with the play of light in dew covered grasses) and the article is now archived. Just as well. Some snippets:
"The drug itself, a synthetic stimulant that can be manufactured just about anywhere, causes dry mouth, Dr. Shaner said, and that in turn allows decay to start, since saliva is unavailable to help control bacteria in the mouth. The drug also tends to leave users thirsty and craving a constant supply of soda pop and other sugary drinks, which spur the decay; Mountain Dew, he said, has become the preferred drink of methamphetamine users. At the same time, the drug's highly addictive nature causes many users simply to stop doing what is needed to take care of themselves, including the brushing of teeth."
"Other dentists said they suspected that the caustic ingredients of the drug - whether smoked, injected, snorted or eaten - contributed to the damage, which tends to start near the gums and wander to the edges of teeth. Among ingredients that can be used to make meth are red phosphorus found in the strips on boxes of matches and lithium from car batteries.
"There are also dentists who point to methamphetamine users' tendency to grind and clench their teeth nervously, aggravating the frighteningly twisted and tangled look of meth mouth."
Just say NO. 'Kay? More here.
Comments
THE MONEY THIS DRUG IS COSTING US IN TAX MONEY IS AMAZING! IF YOU THINK TREATING THE TEETH IS BAD, LOOK AT THE COST THAT IS INVOLVED IN CLEANING UP A METH LAB! THE COST OF CLEANUP IS ALSO GENERALLY CHARGED TO THE TAX PAYER! THE WORST THOUGH IS SEEING/MEETING THE CHILDREN THAT ALWAYS SEEM TO BE AT THESE LABS!
WHAT OTHER WAY CAN YOU TAKE 100.00 AND MAKE 1000.00 IN UNDER 6 HOURS AND STAY UP FOR DAYS ON END!
Posted by: SCOTT | June 24, 2005 9:18 AM
Or incoherently type in caps.
Sorry, couldn't resist.
Isn't it amazing the the NYT is just discovering that Meth has left the 'hood? We in central California have had this plague upon us for twenty years or more. Like perscription drug abuse, meth useage has flown under the media radar because it's users/victims are mostly white middle and working class.
The best they can do is run a feature on tooth decay? Jeebers, what of the millions of children thrown into the custodial system, the strain on local level healthcare and police services and the billions of dollars pumped into the underground criminal economy?
Posted by: BJ | June 26, 2005 1:16 PM