Drug and substance abuse has a disastrous effect on the oral cavity and your teeth. Alcohol, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine can lead to discoloration, tooth decay, and severe wear of your teeth. As these conditions progress rapidly with substance and drug abuse, a full mouth dental rehabilitation would become necessary to restore the damage.
Before and After Dental Rehabilitation:
Substance Abuse Results in Poor Oral Health
Substance abuse plays a huge role in poor oral health. When an addict uses drugs on a regular basis, the teeth rapidly degenerate and deteriorate. This is due to grinding of the teeth, cravings for sugar and sugary beverages, poor brushing habits, and dry mouth all caused by the substance abuse. Many drugs cause the user to clench and grind their teeth frequently leading to rapid loss of tooth structure. Its no secret that sugar and sodas can cause tooth decay – Drug use can increase the cravings for sugar and sugary beverages resulting in rampant decay and cavities. Furthermore, substance abuse also can result in dry mouth and decreased salivary flow rate. Saliva is your body’s defense against decay and helps prevent cavities from occurring or spreading rapidly. When dry mouth is present, cavities spread rapidly because they are undeterred. Additionally, brushing habits are generally neglected during drug dependence and abuse. The combination of these effects caused by substance abuse inevitability deteriorates the teeth at an alarmingly fast pace.
We Can Restore Damaged Teeth Caused by Drug Abuse
We routinely work with drug rehabilitation centers to help patients complete their recovery by restoring the damage which occurred from substance abuse. As part of the complete recovery, it is important to have a healthy and attractive smile. The damage cased by drug abuse is a constant reminder of the past which can be demoralizing and debilitating. A complete recovery should include a dental rehabilitation.
Biomimetic Dentistry is Ideal for Substance Abuse Dental Rehabilitation
We are experts in adhesive and biomimetic dentistry. With the significant damage that has been done by substance abuse, it is imperative to preserve as much as possible of the remaining healthy tooth structure. Traditional dental treatments require substantial removal of healthy portions of your teeth. With adhesive and Biomimetic Dentistry we can successfully restore damaged teeth while being conservative to ensure the maximum results for our patients.
We Provide Sedation and A Full Range of Dental Services
Our team of doctors has a wide range of skills ideal for treating complex cases typically seen from substance abuse. Undoing the damage cause by substance abuse requires multiple appointments and longer treatment times for a full rehabilitation. We can comfortably sedate our patients during their appointments to make the process as smooth as possible. Additionally we provide surgical procedures in office such as dental implants to replace teeth which have been lost due to substance abuse.
Contact our practice today to schedule a consultation.