title: Patients who are substance abusers.
abstract: Substance abuse cuts across all social strata. This article offers the dentist background information pertaining to drug abuse in the United States, defines common terms, discusses the rationale for identifying substance abusers--including possible drug interactions--provides a list of "telltale signs" for recognizing a chemical abuse problem, and suggests ways to approach a suspected abuse problem.
authors.forename: Denise C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilmers
mesh_terms: D001519:Behavior; D003729:Dental Care; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004990:Ethics, Dental; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008487:Medical History Taking; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D010808:Physical Examination; D012449:Safety; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D014481:United States