Oral health problems are a major concern for people who are substance dependent.
A research team at Boston University concluded that most people who are substance-dependent not only have issues with a specific substance but oral health issues as well. Opioid users, specifically, showed a drastic decline in oral health in a one-year period. This study was published online in the most recent issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.
Dental medicine personnel, as well as public health and internal medical faculty from Boston University worked on the study. They analyzed the impact of various substances on oral health of a group of substance-dependent people. Opioid, alcohol, stimulant and marijuana users were part of the study. The people in the study group were asked various questions pertaining to their oral health.
One of the findings from the study was that there were no maladies specific to any type of substance dependence. More than half of the people in the study reported fair oral health at best, some of whom had poor oral health.
Although oral health isn’t the biggest concern for substance-dependent people, it could be one of the major issues aside from the substance dependence.
The goal of this study was to hopefully implement more oral health interventions for individuals who have substance dependence problems. It is essential for the individuals to be made aware of the importance of trying to maintain solid oral hygiene.
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