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The impact of amphetamines (crystal meth) on oral health and oral health-related quality of life: a scoping review

British Dental Journal (2025)Cite this article

Abstract

Background It is estimated that the prevalence of amphetamine use disorders are expected to increase; hence, it is crucial to investigate the negative impacts of amphetamines on oral health and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL).

Aims This scoping review aimed to assess the negative impact of amphetamines on oral health and OHRQoL.

Methods This scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses guidelines. Three database systems were used. PROSPERO and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for related reviews and trials, respectively.

Results Out of 106 articles, 12 were included in this review. All included articles were cross-sectional studies and were published between 2005-2023. Eight and four studies evaluated the effect of amphetamine on oral health and OHRQoL, respectively.

Conclusion Long-term use of amphetamine severely impairs oral health and reduces OHRQoL. Furthermore, socioeconomic barriers to dental treatment exacerbate the increased frequency of dental caries, periodontal diseases, and related emotional and functional difficulties that users experience.

Key points

  • The abuse of amphetamines is associated with negative effects on oral health, including a higher incidence of dental caries and periodontal disease.

  • Amphetamine use is linked to bruxism and temporomandibular joint disorders, which can lead to tooth wear and jaw pain.

  • Oral health-related quality of life significantly declines among amphetamine users, marked by issues such as painful oral sensations, difficulties in eating and speaking, and increased feelings of embarrassment related to their dental problems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Basic and Clinical Oral Sciences, College of Dentistry, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

    Hassan Abed & Abdullah Hazzazi

  2. Department of Basic Dental and Medical Science, College of Dentistry, University of Ha´il, Ha´il, Saudi Arabia

    Abdullah Alshammari

Authors
  1. Hassan Abed
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  2. Abdullah Alshammari
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  3. Abdullah Hazzazi
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Contributions

HA and AH developed the search strategy and drafted the protocol. HA, AA and AH contributed to the conception and design of the study, acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of the data and writeup. AH and HA were the independent first and second reviewers of this scoping review. All authors approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hassan Abed.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Ethical approval and consent was not required as the review used freely available information in the public domain and no human participants were involved.

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Abed, H., Alshammari, A. & Hazzazi, A. The impact of amphetamines (crystal meth) on oral health and oral health-related quality of life: a scoping review. Br Dent J (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-025-8606-6

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