Periodontitis is a prevalent infectious disease in which the accumulation of bacterial plaque leads to an inflammatory reaction and destruction of supporting tissues around the teeth. The optimal goal in periodontal treatment is to eliminate the infection and to recreate the lost structures of cementum, periodontal ligament (PDL), and the alveolar bone with the reestablishment of their functions. Achieving this regenerative aim, however, remains a major challenge for periodontists. In order to increase the predictability and the efficacy of regenerative periodontal therapies, treatment modalities have moved from the conventional guided tissue treatments to novel tissue engineering and stem cell–based treatments. This is achieved either by transplantation of cells from outside sources to the periodontal defects or by enhancing the recruitment of endogenous host cells present in the area, known as cell homing methods. Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy is a term used for exposure of cells/ tissues to low-level laser light or light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which is absorbed by specific photoreceptors in cells and may cause alteration at a molecular level inside cells without any heat generation leading to biological changes in cell metabolism and function.
Oral health problems, among the most prevalent comorbidities related to addiction, require more attention by both clinicians and policy-makers. Our aims were to review oral complications associated with drugs, oral health care in addiction rehabilitation, health services available, and barriers against oral health promotion among addicts. Drug abuse is associated with serious oral health problems including generalized dental caries, periodontal diseases, mucosal dysplasia, xerostomia, bruxism, tooth wear, and tooth loss. Oral health care has positive effects in recovery from drug abuse: patients’ need for pain control, destigmatization, and human immune-deficiency virus (HIV) transmission. Health care systems worldwide deliver services for addicts, but most lack oral health care programs. Barriers against oral health promotion among addicts include difficulty in accessing addicts as a target population, lack of appropriate settings and of valid assessment protocols for conducting oral health studies, and poor collaboration between dental and general health care sectors serving addicts. These interfere with an accurate picture of the situation. Moreover, lack of appropriate policies to improve access to dental services, lack of comprehensive knowledge of and interest among dental professionals in treating addicts, and low demand for non-emergency dental care affect provision of effective interventions. Management of drug addiction as a multi-organ disease requires a multidisciplinary approach. Health care programs usually lack oral health care elements. Published evidence on oral complications related to addiction emphasizes that regardless of these barriers, oral health care at various levels including education, prevention, and treatment should be integrated into general care services for addicts.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.