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Drug addiction is a destructive disease that can take hold quickly. Drugs can have a serious effect on you physically, having a negative on your major organs and eventually proving fatal. They also have a serious impact on your dental health. People addicted to drugs often have bad teeth and oral problems that can plague them for the rest of their lives. Whilst it may not seem like the most pressing concern, having good dental health is a big part of living healthily and being happier overall.

 

How Do Drugs Affect Teeth?

Whilst certain drugs may affect your teeth differently, there are common ways in which substances can ruin your oral health. Taking drugs can cause regular acid reflux, which will wear down your enamel and cause teeth erosion. This can lead to sensitive teeth, discolouration, and tooth decay.

Many drugs often make you grind your teeth for extended periods. Doing this often may cause your teeth to crack, wear them down and damage the joints and muscles in your jaw. A drug problem increases the chances of infections in your mouth and tooth decay, leading to bad breath. This may not be the most pressing issue, but chronic bad breath can signify larger problems. This might make you want to consider treatment or rehabilitation to deal with the root cause of your dental issues – drug addiction.

 

The Impact of Different Drugs on Oral Health

Whilst there are general impacts of drugs on your teeth, specific drugs can negatively impact your oral health in different ways.

Cocaine

Regular cocaine use can cause gum disease. It is acidic and usually cut with sugars that will erode your gums and wear away tooth enamel, leading to tooth decay. Cocaine can also make you grind your teeth which can wear down your teeth and give you toothaches and pain in the joints and muscles around your mouth.

Cocaine users also experience dry mouth. With you producing less saliva, you will have difficulty swallowing, and the surface of your teeth will be more acidic, resulting in tooth decay.

Meth

Long-term meth users will often have meth mouths. As meth is addictive and can grab you quickly, dental hygiene soon goes to the bottom of your priority list. Without a regular dental hygiene routine, issues will go untreated and worsen.

Meth users crave sugary drinks and food when crashing, so they indulge in a bad diet that contributes to poor oral health.

Heroin

Opioids like heroin can increase the cravings for sweeter and sugary foods that may increase the chance of tooth decay. Due to most users injecting heroin, the chance of infections is higher, which may lead to oral fungus and other oral viral infections. Despite heroin not being an amphetamine, users do grind their teeth.

Some of these problems may be harder to notice as heroin is a painkiller. You could be unaware of the seriousness of the issues and continue to neglect your oral health. Leaving any of these dental problems untreated may develop into permanent damage.

Cannabis

As cannabis is commonly smoked, many chronic users suffer from dry mouth. In this country, in particular, cannabis is smoked with tobacco, which can cause teeth staining and inflammation of the gums. Smoking regularly also increases the risks of cancers such as oral, throat and lung cancer.

Another negative impact is the munchies. This may not seem like a big problem, but the munchies can have you regularly reaching for more unhealthy foods that can destroy your dental health in the long run.

 

Can Poor Dental Hygiene Be Avoided?

Reading all of the above may seem like it is all doom and gloom. There are things you can do to improve your dental hygiene and help prevent any worsening issues.

  • Change Your Diet – Reducing fizzy drinks, like Coke and Fanta, can help as they are very acidic and will damage your enamel. Changing your diet to include less sugary and sweet foods will also help your teeth.
  • Dental Hygiene Habit – Getting into a good dental routine is important. Brush twice a day thoroughly and floss. You can also use a fluoride mouthwash to help clean your teeth. When brushing, you shouldn’t go too hard as this can damage your gums.
  • Cut Down on Substances – Alongside cutting drugs out of your life, you should also consider lowering your alcohol intake if you drink. If you smoke, you should limit this as these things are bad for your teeth.
  • Chewing Gum – Chewing gum encourages saliva, so if you suffer from dry mouth, this could help. Try sugar-free gum to ensure you are not damaging your teeth any further.

 

Besides attending drug rehab to deal with your addiction issues, professional dental treatment may be required to help you improve your oral health.

  • High-Fluoride Toothpaste – Dentists can prescribe you high-fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride will help strengthen your teeth and reduce the risk of further tooth decay.
  • Reconstruction – Damaged teeth may need fillings to help restore them. Sometimes, however, the damage is too much, and teeth need to be removed. Dentists can do this and put in bridges and dentures.
  • Cosmetic Treatment – Dentists can provide more cosmetic treatments such as teeth whitening and veneers. This can help if you have stained teeth or want the look of your mouth and smile to be much improved.

 

Drug Addiction Treatment at Nova Recovery

To deal with the root cause of your dental problems and addiction, you may need to go to private drug and alcohol rehab. At Nova Recovery, you can access several treatment options, including drug detox and various mental health therapies.

If you come to our rehab centre, you will also have access to our 12-month free aftercare package to help you in those months of transition.

 

Get in Touch Today

If you are ready to begin the admissions process and take the first steps on your recovery journey, don’t hesitate to reach out.

You can contact us online or call on 01475 303998 to talk to a team member at Nova Recovery.

 

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John Gillen - Director & Author at Nova Recovery

John Gillen - Author - Last updated: September 8, 2023

John has travelled extensively around the world, culminating in 19 years’ experience looking at different models. He is the European pioneer of NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) treatment to Europe in 2010; and recently back from the USA bringing state of the art Virtual Reality Relapse Prevention and stress reduction therapy. His passion extends to other metabolic disturbances and neurodegenerative diseases. The journey continues. In recent times, John has travelled to Russia to study and research into a new therapy photobiomudulation or systemic laser therapy working with NAD+ scientists and the very best of the medical professionals in the UK and the USA, together with Nadcell, Bionad Hospitals own select Doctors, nurses, dieticians and therapists. Johns’ passion continues to endeavour to bring to the UK and Europe new developments with NAD+ Therapy in preventive and restorative medicine and Wellness. In 2017 John Gillen was made a visiting Professor at the John Naisbitt university in Belgrade Serbia.