Meth drills out $1m dentist bill in prisons

Corrosive chemicals in drug leave addicts with horror-show teeth. Jared Nicoll reports.

‘‘Meth mouth’’ has likely bitten into the $1 million-plus price tag for prisoners’ dental work in the past year.

Figures released under the Official Information Act reveal dental work in prisons during the 2014-2015 financial year cost $1.1m.

Corrections said it was tricky to calculate the exact amount spent on treating ‘‘meth mouth’’ but stimulants – including methamphetamine – had become the highest source of inmate drug dependence, at 23 per cent. Side-effects include blackened, stained or rotting teeth.

Registered nurse Anne Carroll from the Higher Ground rehabilitation facility in Auckland said meth users might be put off getting help in prison in case the service simply pulled their teeth out.

‘‘Sometimes we have to get them to the dentist before we can do rehab. People in their 20s are losing all their teeth and some of them have only been using for five years.’’

About 19 out of every 20 people who arrived for rehab needed urgent dental work.

The amount of damage done could be worse if users had smoked low-quality ‘‘backyard’’ P.

Along with a lack of general dental care, meth users could be strung out for days grinding their teeth, and their lack of sleep burnt out their carbohydrates, making them crave sugary food and drink.

A Corrections Department spokesperson said many prisoners had poor oral health, often as a result of substance abuse, poor nutrition and smoking.

‘‘However, as we do not collect data on specific causes we cannot quantify to what level substance abuse or particular drugs contribute to poor dental health.’’

Hutt Valley DHB dental specialists provide non-urgent treatment to prisoners at Rimutaka Prison three times a week, on average, through a contract with Corrections.

DHB director of operations, surgical, women’s and children’s directorate Carolyn Braddock said prisoners had the same dental problems as the rest of the community, such as decayed and broken teeth and problems with wisdom teeth.

‘‘The dental team treats abscesses, removes and fills teeth. Acute patients are seen by the emergency department if required. Prisoners can also pay for other dental work such as dentures.’’

New Zealand Dental Association chief executive David Crum said ‘‘meth mouth’’ was a common sign of meth abuse because the drug could contain corrosive chemicals usually found in fertilisers or in batteries, which might erode the protective enamel coating on a tooth.

However, it was more likely that this degree of tooth decay was brought on by a combination of side-effects from a meth high.

‘‘When meth is ingested, it causes the user’s blood vessels to shrink, limiting the steady blood supply that the mouth needs in order to stay healthy,’’ Crum said.

‘‘With repeated shrinking, these vessels die and the oral tissues decay. Similarly, meth use leads to a dry mouth, and without enough saliva to neutralise the mouth’s harsh acids, those acids eat away at the tooth and gums, causing weak spots susceptible to cavities.’’