Your Teeth on drugs!

Methamphetamine Use and Oral Health (Meth Mouth)

Dental health care professionals should be aware that methamphetamine use is on the rise in the U.S. The allure of this drug is that it is cheap, easy to make and the high lasts much longer than crack cocaine (12 hours versus one hour for cocaine). As well as being a potent central nervous system stimulant that can cause permanent brain damage, methamphetamine use has also been associated with severe oral health effects. Dental professionals should be aware of methamphetamine’s oral health effects and the treatment considerations for users of this drug.

Street names for Methamphetamine
Meth, Speed, Ice, Chalk, Crank, Fire, Glass, and Crystal

Drug description
Methamphetamine can be smoked, snorted, injected or taken orally. Typically, it is a bitter tasting powder that readily dissolves in beverages. Another common form of the drug is a clear, chunky crystal. This is the form known as “ice” or “crystal meth” and it is smoked in a manner similar to crack cocaine. Methamphetamine can also be in the form of small, brightly colored tablets. The pills are often called by their Thai name, yaba.