Congressman Rick Larsen's Online Office

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine, and John Sullivan (OK-01) this week re-introduced their bipartisan legislation, The Meth Mouth Prevention and Community Recovery Act, to educate kids about one of the many dangers of methamphetamine abuse: meth mouth, a disease that takes a terrible toll on the teeth and mouths of meth users. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate earlier this month.
 
“Dentists in my district have treated patients as young as 18 years old whose teeth have been completely destroyed by methamphetamine use,” said Larsen. “Meth rots away your teeth, putting kids still in their teens in dentures.  That is a powerful message to communicate to our kids – if they could see what dentists see every day at the clinic, no one would do meth.”

“Methamphetamine use is quickly becoming an epidemic in our nation and an unforeseen consequence of this has been the growing need for costly dental care,” Sullivan said. “By helping the dental community to target young people, we can open their eyes to the dark side of meth use before they try it. Meth use is of particular concern in Oklahoma, as meth accounts for nearly 90% of all drug cases in the Midwest. I am proud to partner with my colleague, Congressman Larsen, on this important bipartisan measure to combat meth mouth in our nation and communities.”

Few studies have been published about meth mouth, but law enforcement officers and treatment providers report that meth mouth is common among meth users. In 2007, the Washington State Department of Corrections found that approximately 40 percent of their annual inmate dental budget goes toward treating patients with meth mouth. More than 2,000 cases of meth mouth have been seen at the Washington State Reformatory in Monroe, Washington alone. 

Dental problems are common among drug users.  Many do not care for their teeth regularly and most do not see a dentist often.  But methamphetamine takes a unique and horrific toll on the mouths of those who use it.  Meth mouth is characterized by broken, discolored and rotting teeth. More research is needed, but it is believed that methamphetamine use dries out the salivary glands, allowing the mouth's acids to disintegrate the teeth. Further damage is done when users compulsively grind their teeth, crave and binge on sugary drinks and food due to meth use, and neglect brushing and flossing for long periods of time, a common occurrence for meth users.

The Meth Mouth Prevention and Community Recovery Act would —

• Establish a grant program to educate 12 to 17 year-olds about meth mouth and help prevent first-time methamphetamine use
• Support clinical and public health research to study the connections between substance abuse and oral health
• Educate dentists about substance abuse disorders to improve patient care (According to the ADA, the use of certain therapeutic agents in dental treatment can jeopardize the health and affect the relapse potential of patients with substance use disorders, yet screening patients for substance abuse is not a common practice among dentists.)
  

To view pictures of teeth destroyed by meth mouth and for more information, visit the Partnership for a Drug-Free America’s website http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/DrugIssue/MethResources/meth_mouth.html. 

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