Review And Investigation Of Oral Health Of Drug Addicts

Drug abuse is one of the major public hazards in the world.At present,it has become a global social and public health issue,which has increasingly attracted people's attention.Epidemiological investigations and related studies in recent years have shown that drug abuse,in addition to dysfunctions in the central,respiratory,and cardiovascular systems,also affects the occurrence and development of oral diseases.With the rapid economic development,the number of drug addicts in China increased explosively in recent years.However,due to the particularity and concealment of drug addicts,there are few systematic surveys on the oral health status of drug addicts in China recently,and there is a lack of relevant data.In order to obtain data on oral health of drug abusers in the country and analyze their possible risk factors,199 male drug addicts in a compulsory detoxification center in a city were enrolled as the research objects in the present study.Questionnaires on the age,level of education,types,patterns and duration of drug-abuse,oral hygiene habits,systemic status,routine conditions,history of maxillofacial diseases,and jaw system dysfunction were administered through on-site questionnaires.According to thediagnostic criteria of oral diseases established by the WHO,the status of caries,periodontal diseases,etc.of drug addicts were checked.With reference to the internationally recognized Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders(DC/TMD),clinical examinations are performed on the related signs of the temporomandibular disorders(TMD),such as jaw movement disorders,joint noise and pain.Results:1.Oral diseases(1)The prevalence of caries,the severity of dental caries and periodontal disease in drug abusers were higher than that in the general population.Among the 199 drug addicts,the prevalence of caries was 72.36%,and the total number of decayed,missing and filling teeth was 1103.The mean DMFT was 5.54±5.10.The prevalence of dental calculus,gingival bleeding,and periodontal pockets(above the depth of 4 mm)were98.49%,97.99%,and 37.69%,respectively.(2)The longer the duration of drug abuse,the higher the prevalence of caries and the number of missing teeth.(3)The majority of drug addicts did not pay much attention to the maintenance of oral hygiene.Only 30.65% of them brushed their teeth twice or more every day,and69.35% of them brush their teeth once or less every day.Only 7.04% of the drug abusers brushed their teeth for more than 2 minutes every time,and 68.34% for 1-2minutes,24.62% for less than 1 minute every time.2.TMD(1)57.79% of drug addicts reported self-reported TMD symptoms such as joint noise,maxillofacial pain,and jaw movement disorders in the past 3 months.The incidence of maxillofacial pain was as high as 42.72%.(2)40.70% of drug addicts had positive signs of TMD,including 28.14% of joint noise,13.57% of abnormality of opening and closing movement,and 10.55% ofmaxillofacial tenderness/pain during movement.(3)There was no close relationship between the duration of drug use and the symptoms and signs of TMD(p>0.05),but the incidence of TMD symptoms and maxillofacial pain was significantly higher in drug addicts with tension/anxiety and teeth clenching(p<0.05).3.Meta analysisAccording to the meta analysis of the relevant literature,the prevalence of caries,periodontitis,dental calculus and gingival bleeding among drug abusers was 79.1%,67.7%,98.0% and 85.9% respectively,which was higher than that of the general population.Conclusions:The oral health status of drug addicts is poor and worrying.Prolonged drug abuse and poor oral hygiene maintenance are the major risk factors for oral related diseases.As a multi-etiological disease,there is no direct relationship between TMD and drug abuse in the present drug addicted population.However,anxiety and clenching teeth associated with drug abuse may be risk factors for TMD in the present study.