Cocaine and oral health

H.S. Brand, S. Gonggrijp, C.J. Blanksma

    Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    In the UK almost one million individuals use cocaine on a regular basis, implying that dentists are likely to encounter individuals that use cocaine. Regular use of this drug may have several orofacial effects, such as perforation of the nasal septum and palate, gingival lesions and erosion of tooth surfaces. In addition, recent use of cocaine increases the risk of a medical emergency during dental treatment, especially when epinephrine-containing local anaesthetics or retraction cords are used. Therefore, dental treatment should be postponed for 6 to 24 hours after the use of cocaine.
    Original languageUndefined/Unknown
    Pages (from-to)365-369
    Number of pages5
    JournalBritish Dental Journal
    Volume204
    Issue number7
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2008

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