There’s nothing pretty about a meth user’s smile. Even once white, healthy smiles give way to blackened, rotten teeth that crumble at the gum line in as little as a year of use, the result of a drug addiction that leads to other health problems and costly dental treatments.

This condition, known as meth mouth, is becoming more prevalent as the chemical

cocktail’s popularity continues to grow—particularly among teenagers and young adults. Meth users are known to grind their teeth, crave sugary sodas and go long stretches without brushing or flossing, all along with the acidic ingredients found in meth—possible contributors to the damage.

The recently introduced Meth Mouth Prevention and Community Recovery Act, with bipartisan support, aims to prevent meth use and the health problems it causes through education and research. The bill proposes to:

•    Make grants available to educate 12- to 17-year-olds about meth mouth and prevent first-time meth use.

•    Expand and intensify the Department of Health and Human Services’ clinical, health services and public health research on the link between substance use disorders, oral health and providing dental care.

•    Authorize a study to determine if, how, and to what degree meth use affects demand for and provision of dental care.

•    Promote a series of continuing education activities for dentists to learn about substance use disorders and their relationship to oral health and the provision of dental care.

Dental Practice Report Digital Edition recently spoke with bill co-sponsors Congressmen John Sullivan, R-Okla., and Rick Larsen, D-Wash., about why this bill—and companion bill the Meth Mouth Correctional Costs and Reentry Support Act, —is so important and what dentists can do to help with prevention and detection efforts.


Dental Practice Report: Why did you introduce the Meth Mouth Prevention and Community Recovery Act?

Congressman John Sullivan: Meth is quickly becoming an epidemic in our nation and one of the unforeseen consequences is a growing need for costly dental care. Young people don’t realize that meth can quickly leave their teeth blackened, stained, rotting, crumbling and just falling apart. First-time meth use is most likely to occur between the ages of 18 and 25, so prevention efforts must be targeted to teens. These young people really think about their looks a lot, so if we show them what this does to their teeth and mouth, a lot of them probably won’t start.  

Congressman Rick Larsen: As co-chair of the Meth Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, I’ve seen first-hand the devastating impact of methamphetamine abuse on families and communities in Washington state.  One of the unique costs of using methamphetamine is that it destroys your teeth, putting some teen meth users in dentures.   We’ve made great strides in fighting the meth epidemic, but unfortunately, many young people still need educating. According to a nationwide survey released by the Meth Project in September, one in three teenagers sees little to no risk in trying methamphetamine once; about one in seven teens sees little or no risk in using methamphetamine regularly.

Dental Practice Report: Why now?

Congressman John Sullivan: It’s getting to be more of a problem. The drug has been popular for the last 15 or 20 years, so we’re starting to see the effects of meth mouth. You can almost identify a user by their horrible teeth. We’re seeing the negative effects in the prison population and users in general. Another thing is meth users don’t eat much, so they don’t get a lot of saliva in their mouths.  They also drink a lot of pop, so that hurts their teeth, too.

Dental Practice Report: How big of a problem is meth mouth and meth use in general?

Congressman Rick Larsen: According to the American Dental Association, jail and prison dental costs have risen sharply as the methamphetamine epidemic has become more widespread.  Almost 30 percent of jail inmates and 25 percent of state prisoners have a history of methamphetamine use. Few studies have been published about meth mouth or the oral health needs of inmates generally.  But the Washington State Department of Corrections estimates that $5 million of its $12 million annual inmate dental budget goes toward patients with meth mouth. Here’s one example: A dentist at the Washington State Reformatory and the Special Offenders Unit in Monroe, Wash., tells me that he has seen about 2,000 cases of meth mouth among his patients, many of which are still in their teens and twenties.

Dental Practice Report: What do you see as the dentists’ role?

Congressman John Sullivan: They can spot it earlier with patients who are suffering from meth abuse and they can discuss and facilitate treatment plans for them. They can confidentially talk to them about it and maybe help them in other ways, too, by directing them to resources that are available, but also doing something with their teeth that will keep them from losing their teeth. It’s going to give the dental community, with the data that we get, the ability to identify the prevalence and scope of this meth mouth issue. We can really get true research on it and we can develop training, too.

Dental Practice Report: Is meth mouth something dentists don’t seem to be educated about?

Congressman John Sullivan: Yes, it’s going to help because some of them I’m sure are not knowledgeable about this, and they shouldn’t be—it’s not something they study. They see it and they may not know what causes it. Plus, the patient may lead them to believe it’s something else. This will give them data and awareness so more dentists know what meth mouth is. It will also help with strategies and treatment plans.  

Dental Practice Report: If passed, what do you hope this legislation will accomplish?

Congressman John Sullivan: Prevention. Showing what meth does to people’s teeth is going to help as a component of the prevention plan. But there are people out there with teeth that are ungodly. They need to get their teeth pulled or receive some kind of treatment because it causes other oral issues, or even heart disease and infections. Not only does it look awful, it’s awful to your overall health picture.  

Dental Practice Report: What else is being done to battle meth use?

Congressman Rick Larsen:  I worked to pass the first comprehensive meth legislation, the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act. That landmark bill put meth precursors behind the counter at pharmacies across the country and imposed tougher penalties on traffickers and smugglers. The Combat Meth Epidemic Act sent a strong message that the federal government was finally bringing the same level of urgency and commitment to the meth epidemic that local leaders have been bringing for years. We need to continue tackling this issue with urgency and commitment. On the federal level, that includes investing in initiatives like the Meth Mouth Prevention and Community Recovery Act.

Renee Knight is an Associate Editor for Dental Practice Report and Dental Practice Report Digital Edition. She can be reached at rknight@advanstar.com.