Heroin question

[shiningstar500]

I believe that my 19 year old nephew is addicted to heroin. He has already had to have a couple of teeth pulled due to his drug addiction. My question is... how long would you have to be doing this drug before you have teeth issues? I know it matters on how much you take, which I don't know. Has anyone here had to have teeth pulled? Thanks!

[GemCaprica]

I was a heroin addict.  My mouth hurt all the time.  I never made the connection until I went to rehab and heard the same thing from other addicts.  However my problem was not tooth decay, it was peridontal.  Recessed gums, bone loss.  After I got clean and had treatment the problem arrested.  But, about 2yrs ago, I hurt my back.  I am now on morphine & percocet and my mouth is killing me again.  I've already have had 2 root canals, root scaling, and another tooth may need pulled.  While, I'm not an addict any more, I'm definitely dependent til I can have surgery on my back.  I know for a fact the meds are ruining my mouth.  Dry mouth is a  b*tch.  

[jimbo286]

Doing opiates also makes people vomit a lot and constant vomiting causes tooth decay so this could also be a reason why there may be tooth decay for your nephew along with the poor hygiene that goes along with most any addictions.

[IBKleen]

Hi,

I did not read all of the responses. In my experience, Heroin is not a drug that effects the "teeth" at all.

Again, since I did not read everything, what makes you think he is doing Heroin?

[dominosarah]

Hopefully he will decide real soon to get clean.  It is a vicious cycle.......

[shiningstar500]

No, I could only take him in if he was off the drugs. He went to my sisters and stayed and detoxed but he left there and went right back to it. He is not ready to quit I guess.

[dominosarah]

Does he live with you?  

[shiningstar500]

Thank you. He used to dress nice everyday and take care of himself and now... he just rolls out of bed and goes. He no longer cares about his appearence so I can see him not brushing his teeth.  

[Jaybay]

I completely agree with Jeremy.  Opiates (among other drugs) dry out the mouth, which allows for more bacteria to stay in place and do their thing.  As Jeremy mentioned, personal hygiene isn't a priority when someone is laying around stoned out of his mind for hours.  Along with general dehydration, opiates interfere with smooth muscle function (like the colon) which results in pretty severe constipation.  Of course, addiction means people keep using in spite of very negative consequences, so it's not hard to imagine health issues being at the bottom of the priority list.

[hellc@mst]

Hi there. I just wanted to say i hadnt really heard of heroin having an effect on teeth as you described. Poor personal hygiene will have a detrimental effect on ones teeth but not heroin itself. I have heard people talk about methadone causing teeth issues but again i believe meticulous oral hygiene will prevent this.

I was on methadone for nearly 12 years(amongst other narcotics) and i can honestly say i never had any abnormal teeth problems. Methamphetamines however are notorious for damaging teeth. It is called meth mouth and i believe it is caused by both the constant grinding of the teeth as well as the chemical component of the drug itself.

I know when some addicts are in bowels of active addiction, personal hygiene can take a back seat. I would be looking at this as a cause for your nephews bad teeth or even possibly another drug like crystal methamphetamine.

All the best. Regards Jeremy.