Legislation Introduced to Address Meth Mouth

One often overlooked consequence of methamphetamine use is ´meth mouth,´ a severe pattern of tooth decay that affects regular users of meth. This is a particular problem in prisons, where 40 percent of dental spending goes toward treating meth-ravaged teeth. It can also make it more difficult for people to reintegrate themselves in the community during the recovery process. Two new bills introduced by several lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate are attempting to address this issue.

The Meth Mouth Correctional Costs and Reentry Support Act and the Meth Mouth Prevention and Community Recovery Act would examine how meth mouth affects the delivery of dental care in correctional facilities, provide grants to local and state correctional facilities that have been disproportionately affected by meth mouth, create re-entry programs addressing dental health to reduce rates of recidivism, fund a grant program to educate elementary and secondary school students about the oral health risks associated with meth use and fund training to help dentists better identify meth users and provider effective care for them.

The bills, sponsored by Congressmen Rick Larsen (D-2nd/WA), John Sullivan (R-1st/OK) and Brian Baird (D-3rd/WA), and Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Norm Coleman (R-MN), were discussed during a press conference today in Washington, D.C. The legislation is also supported by the American Dental Association and the American Correctional Association.

“Meth mouth destroys and disfigures people’s teeth and gums, can lead to a whole host of other illnesses and prevents their ability to find a job or develop social relationships. This is particularly true in our nation’s correctional facilities where the burden is placed on local, county and state prisons that are forced to divert funds to treat inmates suffering from meth mouth,” said Congressman Baird.