How Illegal Drugs Affect Your Teeth

How Illegal Drugs Use Affect Your Teeth

Illegal drugs are dangerous on multiple levels.  However, the danger posed by illegal drugs to your teeth is often ignored, overlooked, or forgotten.  Whether you are using illegal drugs recreationally or regularly, or if you know someone who is, it is important to consider the long-term effects on your teeth.  These drugs not only have a harmful effect on your overall health, but can be damaging to your teeth and facial structure, influencing the esthetic effect of your face, mouth, and teeth.  Using illegal drugs can eventually cause you to lose your teeth.

Cocaine & Your Teeth 
Cocaine can be disastrous to your teeth because the acids in it have an eroding effect on your tooth enamel.  Cocaine also increases your levels of exposure to decay-causing bacteria, and when mixed with saliva becomes extremely acidic.  Cocaine can also cause you to have an extremely dry mouth, meaning there is less saliva to neutralize the acids in your mouth and prevent bacterial growth.  Individuals who smoke crack cocaine run the risk of the effects of smoke, as well as damage to enamel, gums, and even the nerves of the teeth.

Ecstasy & Your Dental Health
Individuals who use the drug known as ecstasy are prone to bruxism, or tooth grinding.  Frequent grinding of the teeth wears down the tooth enamel, causing pain, sensitivity, fractures, cracking, and other dental problems.  Other effects of using ecstasy including dry mouth, which reduces the amount of saliva and its protective effect on the teeth, and jaw clenching, which can contribute to headaches, earaches, jaw pain, and neck and muscle tension and pain.

This is an informative post on how Illegal Drugs Affect Your Teeth.


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