Meth mouth

[steph702]

I have stopped using meth after a two year struggle with it. Even though I never forgot to brush my teeth( even during a "binge" I took care of my teeth ) Needless to say I managed to ruin and loose a couple of my lower back teeth (2) . Even though I have stopped using the meth ( I smoked it btw.) it  seems my teeth (mainly the ones next to where rt next to the ones that i lost) are still disintergrating even though I already quit, I know the damage is already done,. but isn't there a supplement or SOMETHING I can do to save the rest of my teeth. I plan on visiting a dentist as soon as I am able to ( probably not happen for a good 6 months + -- no insurance ) I dont want to loose those teeth as well- Also when I do go to the dentist - whats he going to tell me as far as what my options are for replacing the teeth I lost. (dentures ? ) HELP someone please shed some light on my pearly not so whites (anymore :()

[avisg]

can save them but get the damaged one removed and look into bridges dentures implants all of the options DONT wait if you wait to long then you can-end up with serous problems

[laurel453]

as sarah has said i don't think there is anything you can do to stop the current affected teeth.... i wasn't on methadone but after being clean i have had a lot of work done with my teeth and it is still a work on progress Lol....you could have dental implants, they are quite expensive but they are the best solution and for ever, like having a brand new tooth. It depends also on the state of the bone where it is implanted to be viable .

[dominosarah]

Congrats on getting off the meth.  That is a hard one.

As for your teeth...There isnt anything that you can do to save the ones that are already bad and you may find that other teeth will start bothering you too.  Most of us suffer with alot of dental issues after we have cleaned up.  There are new and improved things they are doing now.  Implants seem to be popular in my area.  Check out the colleges as i know the one around here does the basic cleaning and such and they will have some better info for you than i do.  

I would also think a calcium supplement wouldnt hurt either.  I am just glad you are off the meth.         sara

[PromisedLand]

Congrats, Steph for getting off of that stuff....you should be very proud of your accomplishment...that could not have been easy..

I wish I could answer your question but I'm not sure I can..I'd get a good mouthrinse/wash..maybe ask a pharmacist what he/she would recommend and a good toothpaste..check around and see if there are any dentists who will treat you on a "sliding scale" based on your income and situation...dentists don't want to see you lose your teeth regardless of how/why..

Do all you can to avoid dentures...I had horrible teeth and finally had to go the denture route (uppers) and while I can smile now (look at the screen)  see??  I have 'em all..but  I hate them..it's tough to chew certain foods (steak..unless it's a good filet that melts in one's mouth) and finding the right stuff to use to hold them in takes a while as some of the stuff is horrible...

check colleges in the area that have dental schools...they offer inexpensive service if you don't mind being worked on by a rookie armed with drills and those pokey little things and all kinds of implements of destruction


Best of luck and keep us posted.


Jim (who absolutely HATES dentist..mine is on my cell phone as "torture chamber" even though he's the best I've ever had.