FACTORS INFLUENCING THE USE OF METHAMPHETAMINE BY DENTAL PATIENTS IN THE UNITED STATES about the patient ’ s experiences navigating through the health care system . Identify barriers to treatment along , with patient ’ s strengths and concerns about their dental health . In a large urban sample of 571 methamphetamine users , Shetty et al . found that 40 percent of participants felt embarrassed about their dental appearance . 45 Promoting dental health and addressing aesthetic concerns can be a powerful tool to increase mood , confidence , and attitudes towards change . Collaboratively create a treatment plan that focuses on attainable goals centered on harm reduction . The authors recommend the implementation of caries risk assessment protocols for “ extreme risk ” patients . 46 ( Table 1 ) Those patients who express the desire to recover from methamphetamine use are of course the individuals most likely to benefit from our interventions . It is helpful if the dental team can collaborate with the patient ’ s physician to facilitate a referral to a drug treatment program / facility . A letter tailored to high caries risk patients may be mailed to the patient as follow-up to the office visit . Additionally , the letter may be sent as a copy to the physician of record for the patient . These measures help to remind the patient as well as the physician of the interprofessional collaboration that is occurring on the patient ’ s behalf , and to serve as reminders of the recommendations for home care . If methamphetamine use continues any treatment rendered by the dentist will not have the probability of success . There is promise in the use of silver diamine fluoride as an agent to halt the progression of caries disease for patients in recovery or for those individuals who have already recovered from their addiction to this substance . 47 , 48 , 49 Prior to treatment of carious surfaces with SDF , informed consent must include a discussion of staining and discoloration of
48 , 49
affected surfaces , as discussed by the authors . The patterns and severity of dental disease associated with methamphetamine use have been studied . Brown et al , in a project published in the Journal of the California Dental Association , found
Review Articles
Stomatology Edu Journal
295