Oral and Dental Changes in a Cocaine Addict

A cocaine addict may show a number of changes in oral and dental health.

Process	Finding
poor dental hygiene	decayed and missing teeth; periodontitis and gingivitis
malnutrition	angular cheilitis and glossodynia
manic brushing and flossing while intoxicated	gingival abrasions or lacerations, typically one-sided (left side if right handed; right side if left handed)
severe bruxism	dental attrition, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, bilateral masseter muscle hypertrophy
concurrent alcohol abuse	parotid gland enlargement
nasal inhalation	mucosal ulceration, nasal septal perforation

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