About Meth Mouth

As meth use increases, dentists across the country are starting to see what may become an epidemic: a condition known as meth mouth. While other drugs, smoking, and sugar cause oral damage, none can compare with the trauma inflicted with meth mouth. In as little as a few months, a perfectly healthy set of teeth can turn a grayish-brown, twist and begin to fall out, and take on a texture that resembles ripened fruit instead of tough enamel.

Dentists report seeing patients whose teeth have been transformed into "little black stubs" that are too painful to brush. In many cases, these patients with meth mouth lose many of their teeth and have to be fitted with dentures, at ages as young as 17!

What causes meth mouth?

Dental health experts can't say for certain why meth is so damaging, but they have some good ideas:

1. Meth contains highly corrosive ingredients, including anhydrous ammonia, red phosphorous, lithium from car batteries, and muriatic acid.

2. Meth causes dry mouth, which results from a reduced flow of saliva. Saliva is needed to wash away food and neutralize the acids produced by the bacteria in plaque. If you don't have enough saliva to do this, these acids can cause extensive decay.

3. Meth makes users thirsty and craving sugary drinks. Mountain Dew has become the preferred drink of meth users, and a 12 ounce can contains about 12 teaspoons of sugar.

4. The highly addictive nature of the drug causes users to stop caring for their personal hygiene, including brushing and flossing their teeth.

5. Meth abuse can also lead to bruxism, or grinding of teeth. This occurs because addicts become nervous and paranoid and tend to hallucinate. Persistent bruxism may explain why teeth become twisted in a patient with meth mouth.