Meth mouth is a sorry situation

Methamphetamine takes a toll on users’ mouths, and dentists are seeing more and more patients showing up with “meth mouth.” Two Kansas dentists were featured in a New York Times article on the subject.
“The real market for dentistry is in saving teeth, in helping people have dental health,” Richard Stein, a Dodge City dentist, told the Times. “But I’ve seen a lot. I’m not a drug counselor, and I’m long past lecturing, but this is a sorry situation.”
Posted by Melissa Cooley

4 Comments

  1. Art Vandale
    Posted June 14, 2005 at 3:57 pm | Permalink

    This is caused by Meth? I thought it was just common Kansas inbreeding.

  2. Nicki
    Posted June 14, 2005 at 4:01 pm | Permalink

    While I sympathize with with the people suffering from “Meth Mouth”, it is a condition of their own making. I see people everyday who are in desparate need of dental care, but can’t afford it and don’t have health or dental insurance. They did nothing to deserve their crappy teeth, yet they are stuck with them and the pain and illness that can come with them. I feel that along with healthcare, dental health is very important and should be available to everyone in some fashion. Concentrating on Meth abusers is the wrong tactic. How about looking at a group of un- or underemployed people and see what luck they have with the dentist? Most have no luck at all, they either want the full payment up front or make unreasonable demands for payment plans. The simple fact is that something MUST be done to help the uninsured and the underinsured in both health and dental care. Please don’t make this just about drug users….that’s how these concerns get dismissed.

  3. dan newland
    Posted June 15, 2005 at 5:48 am | Permalink

    WHAT ? You want to use MY TAX MONEY to HELP POOR PEOPLE ! LET EM CAKE !

  4. chapped
    Posted June 15, 2005 at 3:04 pm | Permalink

    You’re funny dan, in a weird sort of way. Make it a DQ Ice cream cake.