KCI The Anti_Meth Site

Teeth and Meth

My meth-using daughter has perfect teeth, so far. I know she knows that meth is really bad for your teeth, she always says "no big deal I can always get false teeth" she probably thinks she isn't going to live long enough for her teeth to go. Lately she has been buying Sensodyne toothpaste. Has anybody else done that? I know that her teeth are probably the least of her worries, but sometimes I find myself obsessing about it, I mean this kid has a set of teeth people would kill for. She is 21 and I think she has only ever had 1 or 2 cavities and one was in her baby teeth. As a mother you are so used to being able to take care of and protect your child. There are things you can do and things you cant. You take them to the doctor and the dentist. You make sure they get good nutrition. You encourage them in their interests, you teach them right from wrong. When they get older and are using meth everything just gets crazy for them and as a mother you feel like you have been hit by a giant bolder, the constant worry nearly consumes you. I have gone to counselors and most of them say "let go" "move on" "live your life" but for so many years she was my life. She was my only child for 7 1/2 years and then I had my second daughter. How do I just move on? I hurt all the time. I try to reach out to her but she would rather I stay away. I don't know what I am trying to say here. I started with the teeth and I just started to vent. Thanks for listening
- stn

Replies

Lorrie -
   My question about teeth and meth has always been do the teeth rot because of poor brushing habits or because of the meth?

Annette -
   My husband has bad teeth because of meth, he brushed daily, actually he tweeked out on brushing...it was crazy. But now, they are so bad, let her know that getting false teeth isn't real easy, he has no dental, so they are quoting to him about $5,500, by the time its all said and done. My teeth in back are bad, the ones in front are pretty good, so I'm taking care of them...I've had a few pulled in the back... Maybe with her buying the sensodyne toothpaste, it is making her realize what she is doing... Just take it as a positive...ya know what I mean..? I know its hard..just pray maybe she is taking a look at herself.. Take Care..

stunned -
I think another reason that tweekers have trouble with their teeth is b/c of the sugar addiction they develop, unless they are lucky enough to stay constantly high. If not, if there is any lapse in use, most meth users crave sugar-y foods.

Anonymous -
   Ugh, teeth problems suck! also, i clenched my teeth a lot and my dentist says i have TMJ (some kind of jaw problem) now because of it. Hopefully once your daughter sees all the health problems adding up, she'll see the damage she's doing and wanna quit. I know that helped me a lot in quitting. :)

Matt -
   Well, to be snotty you might say that false teeth on a 20ish girl is rather trashy. DOH! It's not about other people seeing the teeth, it's that the teeth hurt. I mean HURT. I had half of a tooth fall off when I was smoking tina one day. Midtoke, just fell right off. Exposed the nerve, I was a crackhead and had no money... boy was that a bad few weeks!!!! It was so painful I was in tears and had to start scoring coke to numb it, and I hated coke. I am about 2 years clean and it really sucks to eat now. I'm 25 years old and I have missing teeth in the back of my mouth from my using. And I'm a decent-looking lad if I do say so myself, so it's kind of humiliating when I'm meeting someone new, etc... Anyhow, al-anon is a good idea to start with... it's very difficult to separate care, love, and codependency. for me, codependency is wanting to change someone. love is helping someone achieve things they say they want; they have to SAY they want it though. otherwise it's just codependency. honesty is the key, you must tell someone why you are concerned. Health reasons rarely stop an addict. i had aids, staph infections covering my body, weighing 110 pounds, and snuck out of the hospital because i thought the IV they got in my arm was just the greatest thing ever. i had to feel emotional pain to stop. by blocking an active addict from feeling pain, you are enabling and FURTHERING THEIR ADDICTION. stop. love doesn't live in fear of the future, it lives in care and open honesty and trust in god for the future in his hands in his time.