Alcohol abuse in dental patients

Alcohol abuse is an important problem in Britain and is imposing increasing burdens both in general practice and in the hospital service. In the absence of previous investigations of the prevalence of intoxication and dependence in dental patients, 225 consecutive patients who attended the University of Bristol Dental Hospital were interviewed and examined: 75 attended for primary care, 75 for consultation at an oral surgery clinic, and 75 for elective minor oral surgery. A group of 50 consecutive dermatology out-patients were used as controls. All patients were breath analysed to determine blood alcohol concentrations. Dependence was assessed with the CAGE self-administered questionnaire. Eleven per cent of patients showed evidence of alcohol dependence, a similar proportion to that which has been demonstrated in the population of England and Wales overall. Dependent patients attended more often in the morning (71%) than in the afternoon (29%). Only four (1%) of all 275 patients showed evidence of blood alcohol (range 5-90 mg/100 ml): three who attended in the afternoon and one who attended at 9 am. No patient reported recent alcohol intake to allay anxiety. There were no significant differences between groups of patients with regard either to intoxication of dependence.