Abstract

RUIZ CANDINA, Héctor; HERRERA BATISTA, Aleida  and  MARTINEZ BETANCOURT, Ayní. Periodontal diseases in young people and adolescents addicted to psychoactive drugs and attended in the Center for Treatment of Drug Dependency in Adolescents, Playa Municipality. Rev Cubana Invest Bioméd [online]. 2013, vol.32, n.2, pp. 178-185. ISSN 0864-0300.

Background: The use and abuse of drugs such as alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, and crack has increased in the last decades, particularly in determined social groups of special vulnerability. On the other hand, the diseases of the oral cavity, except mouth cancer, have not been studied or have been little studied and these diseases could be a consequence of both legal or illegal use and abuse of drug consumption. Also, systematic studies have not been conducted in Cuba about this topic. Objective: To determine the relation between the consumption of psychoactive drugs and the existence of periodontal diseases in young people and adolescents treated in the Center for Treatment of Drug Dependency in Adolescents (CDA). Methods: An observational descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in order to determine the incidence of periodontal diseases in adolescents and young addicts treated in the Center for Treatment of Drug Dependency in Adolescents (CDA) in Playa Municipality who were under rehabilitation. The clinical histories of patients were analyzed to determine the types of drugs they used to consume and the time of consumption. As an empirical method, The EMTAJOVEN survey was used to determine smokers. Results: Despite the majority of addicts presented an oral hygiene index which was considered excellent, it was found that 28 of the 43 addicts presented some type of periodontal disease such as mild gingivitis, moderate gingivitis, and periodontal pockets associated with gingivitis; none of them had periodontitis. It was confirmed that 35 of the 43 patients were smokers and 20 of the 28 ones had gingivitis. Conclusions: It is concluded that the cause of the different forms of gingivitis present in these patients is not always attributable to a bad oral hygiene, but it could be a consequence of drug dependence, particularly, smoking.

Keywords : drug dependence; drugs; smoking; periodontal diseases; gingivitis; adolescence; youth.

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