Key Clinical Takeaways

Methamphetamine use disorder presents complex medical, psychological, and oral health challenges that require an informed, compassionate, and individualized approach to patient care. Dental professionals are uniquely positioned to recognize the oral manifestations of methamphetamine use, identify patients who may benefit from further evaluation, and provide comprehensive dental treatment within an interprofessional model of care.

Several key principles should guide clinical decision-making:

• Methamphetamine-associated oral disease is multifactorial and results from the combined effects of xerostomia, dietary changes, bruxism, poor oral hygiene, prolonged sympathetic stimulation, and reduced access to preventive dental care rather than a single direct effect of the drug.^9,11,13

• A history of methamphetamine use alone should not determine whether dental treatment is provided. Clinical decisions should be based on the patient's current physiologic status, medical stability, decision-making capacity, and ability to provide informed consent.^1,13,28

• Patients demonstrating signs or symptoms of acute methamphetamine intoxication should have elective dental treatment postponed until medically stable.^1,28

• Individuals engaged in recovery may successfully receive preventive, restorative, periodontal, endodontic, prosthodontic, surgical, and implant therapy when appropriate treatment planning, patient education, and maintenance protocols are implemented.¹³˒²⁸

• Respectful, nonjudgmental, trauma-informed communication helps establish trust, encourages honest disclosure, and strengthens the therapeutic alliance between the dental team and the patient.^1,28

By recognizing methamphetamine use disorder as a chronic, treatable medical condition and focusing on individualized, evidence-based care, dental professionals can play an important role in improving both oral health and overall health outcomes for affected individuals.