title: Methamphetamine and its impact on dental care.
abstract: Dental professionals should be aware that methamphetamine (MA) use is on the rise in North America. MA is a potent central nervous system stimulant with limited therapeutic effects. The allure of this drug is its availability in many different forms that are relatively easy to make and distribute and inexpensive to purchase and that produce prolonged euphoria for the user. This euphoria results from alteration of the normal physiologic processing of several centrally acting neurotransmitters, which also causes neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration with long-term use. Long-term use of MA has been associated with severe oral health effects, the most notable being a distinctive pattern of caries called methamphetamine-induced caries. Dental professionals need to recognize and understand patients who may be using MA and the risk factors associated with its deleterious oral effects. This knowledge will allow appropriate and effective preventive and treatment strategies for users of this drug.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612-7213, United States of America. gklasser@uic.edu
authors.forename: Gary D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Klasser
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Epstein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000209:etiology*; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005059:Euphoria; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008694:Methamphetamine