‘Meth mouth’ takes a bite of $1m prison dental bill
Prisoners whose teeth have been ravaged by P use are using taxpayer dollars for repair work. Jared Nicol reports.
MORE than $1m was spent on dental work in prisons during the 2014-2015 financial year, with a chunk of it believed to have been spent fixing methamphetaminerelated tooth decay.
Corrections said it was tricky to calculate the exact amount spent on treating ‘‘meth mouth’’ but stimulants, including methamphetamine have 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 some meth users may be put off getting help while in prison out of concern the service will simply seek to pull their teeth.
‘‘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 arrive for rehab needed urgent dental work.
The amount of damage done could be worse if users had smoked low quality ‘‘backyard’’ stuff.
Along with a lack of general dental care, meth users could be strung out for days grinding their teeth.
To make things worse, the lack of sleep burnt out their carbohydrates so they craved sugary food and drink.
A Corrections Department spokesperson said many prisoners have 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.’’
Prisoners have often been jailed with years of dental problems.
Former property developer and millionaireturned-drug addict Mark Lyon, currently behind bars, is one of those who has faced battles with methamphetamine.
In 2003 he said he had smoked the drug to relieve his dental pain.
Lyon is estimated to have been spending up to $20,000 a day at the height of his addiction.
Hutt Valley DHB director of operations, surgical, women’s and children’s directorate Carolyn Braddock said prisoners have the same dental problems as the rest of the community.
New Zealand Dental Association chief executive David Crum said, in general, a common sign of meth abuse was extreme tooth decay known as ‘‘meth mouth’’.
Meth can contain corrosive chemicals such as those found in fertilisers, on matchboxes, and in batteries, which might erode a tooth’s protective enamel coating. However, it’s more likely that this degree of tooth decay is 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.
‘‘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.’’