Oral health in drug addict adolescents and non psychoactive substance users

The purpose of this study was to compare oral health between adolescents who are recovering drug addicts and adolescents who report not having used psychoactive substances. A retrospective observational Case-Control study was conducted on 60 subjects per group, aged 15 to 25 years, paired according to sex, age and educational vulnerability. Dental and sialochemical examinations were used to determine oral health/disease/care indicators. Psychoactive substance use habits were obtained from clinical records. DMFT index for Case adolescents was 8.58}4.34, doubling the mean value for the Control group, which was 4.33}4.30. CPI was compatible with gingival-periodontal health in 45% of the Control subjects, but only 20% in the Case group. CPI categories 2 and 3 had different distributions according to the study group, with CPI2=33%, CPI3=0% for the case group and CPI2=57%; CPI3=5% for the control group. Mean values for stimulated saliva for Case and Control groups, respectively, were: salivary flow (ml/min) 1.42}1.08; 0.98}0.41, salivary pH 6.96}0.33 6.86}0.27, and buffer capacity expressed as final pH, 6.73}0.29, 6.61}0.28. Wilcoxon's test for independent samples showed significant differences (p<0.05) between Case and Control for the variables White Spot, Non-Cavitated Carious Lesions, Cavitated Carious Lesions, DMFT, Components D and M, Salivary Flow and Buffer Capacity. There was significant association between the D component in DMFT and use of psychoactive substances, both in single drug and polydrug users. Oral component status was worse in recovering drug addicts than in non-users of psychoactive substances.