Dental health in a group of drug addicts in Italy.
The caries prevalence, periodontal health, and oral hygiene status were assessed in 124 drug addicts aged 18-34 yr in Mercato San Severino (Salerno), Italy. The years of drug addiction ranged from 1 to 15 yr. The majority used heroin (96%) but all the subjects indicated that they had used more than one drug. The percentage of drug addicts caries free was 6.5%, ranging from no caries free subjects in the group over 29 yr of age, to 11.4% in the group aged 26-29 yr old. Mean DMFT and DMFS scores for all age groups were 12.9 and 36.2, respectively; mean Periodontal Index (PI) and mean Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) scores were 1.37 and 1.71, respectively. The poor dental health in this target group indicates the need for more extensive collaboration between the social and dental health care sectors.
Angelillo
I F
IF
Institute of Hygiene, Medical School, University of Reggio Calabria, Catanzaro, Italy.
Grasso
G M
GM
Sagliocco
G
G
Villari
P
P
D'Errico
M M
MM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006556:Heroin Dependence; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders