Oral health determinants among female addicts in Iran

CONTEXT: Addiction results in a range of health problems especially in the oral cavity. AIMS: This study assessed the oral health status among women with a history of drug abuse in Tehran, Iran. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted through structured interviews and clinical examinations of women at three rehabilitation centers in Tehran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on background characteristics, addiction history, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, and oral health indices were collected. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: We used MANOVA test and multiple logistic regression models to analyze the data. RESULTS: We assessed 95 participants aged 37.88 ± 10.65 years. The most commonly reported drugs used prior to treatment were opiates (77.2%). The mean knowledge and attitude score among the patients was 80.83 ± 12.89 (37.5–100). Less than half of the dentate women reported tooth brushing as “rarely or never” (44.2%). Most of them (81.8%) had never used dental floss and 76.1% were daily smokers. The mean score of dental caries index (decayed, missed and filled teeth) of the participants was 20.2 ± 7.18 and 17 subjects were edentulous (17.9%). Factors such as age, drug type, duration of addiction, time of last dental visit, and frequency of brushing were associated with oral health status among these women. CONCLUSIONS: Women with a history of drug abuse in our study suffered from poor oral health. Although they had an acceptable level of knowledge and attitude toward oral health, their oral health, and hygiene was poor. These results call for more attention in designing and implementing oral health programs for addicts.