title: Illicit drug abuse affects periodontal health status.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine periodontal health status among drug addicts in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Drug addiction recovery patients were recruited from Al-Amal Rehabilitation Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between October and December 2012. A questionnaire was used to determine socio-demographic data, oral hygiene measures, and previous drug abuse. Full periodontal charting was carried out including probing depth, recession, attachment loss, bleeding on probing, and plaque index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 57 male patients participated in the study. Cannabis was the drug of choice of most (66.7%) of the subjects, followed by amphetamines (52.6%), alcohol (43.9%), heroin (35.1%), and 8.8% reported using cocaine. All participants had some form of periodontitis with moderate chronic periodontitis affecting 60% of the sample, while mild periodontitis affected 29.1%, and severe periodontitis affected 10.9% of the sample. Cocaine and heroin users showed higher mean clinical attachment loss compared with non-users (p<0.05). Pocket depths of 5-6 mm were found in more than half of the sample. Cocaine users had the highest percentage (80%) of pocket depths that ranged from 5-6 mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Illicit drug use, especially heroin and cocaine, is associated with more severe forms of periodontitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Basic and Clinical Science, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 3738, Jeddah 21481, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Fax. +966 (12) 6403316. E-mail: rkayal@kau.edu.sa.
authors.forename: Rayyan A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kayal
authors.forename: Wael Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: Kholoud J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Alharthi
authors.forename: Abrar K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Demyati
authors.forename: Jumana M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mandurah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010519:Periodontium / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult