Why would methampheta-mine cause severe dental problems, including loss of teeth?

Although scientists are trying to pinpoint the cause, “if I had to put my finger on one thing, I would say lack of saliva,” said Bart Johnson, an associate professor with the University of Washington’s school of dentistry.

Think of mouth saliva as being similar to the oil that keeps your car engine running smoothly, he said. Saliva has a lot of buffers that help reduce the effects of natural acids in the mouth created by bacteria.

“Take away the saliva, the bacteria go crazy,” he said.

There’s nothing to block acid “before it has a chance to rot your teeth,” he said. The acids pull calcium out of teeth, he said.

The acids attack the root structure, bypassing the enamel, which is far harder to break through.

“Think of beavers chewing down trees,” he said. “You don’t need to chew up the whole tree to bring it down … You just nip it off at the base.”

People who are on medical treatments that cause dry mouth, such as radiation to treat cancer in the mouth or neck, can experience similar dental problems as those who use meth, he said.

“We just get huge amounts of decay,” he said.

One cancer patient Johnson treated “went from reasonably good teeth to complete stub wipeout in nine months,” he said. “We’ve seen similar rapid demise of teeth with methamphetamine.”

Dental problems of meth users are made even worse if they don’t clean their teeth and floss regularly and if they eat a high-sugar diet, all patterns associated with drug addiction.

“It’s a ten-fold increase in the problem,” Johnson said.

Patients are treated by repairing decayed tooth structures, trying to re-establish normal saliva levels, which can take time, and using intensive fluoride use to try to slow decay, he said.

Reporter Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.