# Why do Meth-user loose their teeth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 19, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744 "2010-06-19T02:43:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scamartistry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@scamartistry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scamartistry)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/1 "2010-06-19T02:43:45Z")
Any good theories on this? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/2 "2010-06-19T02:46:59Z")
Methamphetamine inhibits saliva production, which causes increased tooth-decay. ETA: [Cool article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meth_mouth) (with gross pic) on Wikipedia for “meth mouth.” That article also cites tooth-grinding (common amongst users of stimulants) as a contributory cause. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/3 "2010-06-19T02:49:45Z")
Lose. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/4 "2010-06-19T03:14:10Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Lose. Yes, but loose first. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/5 "2010-06-19T03:15:09Z")
Previous thread from 2 weeks ago: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=565989&highlight=meth+teeth](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=565989&highlight=meth+teeth) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/6 "2010-06-19T03:16:11Z")
IIRC it also makes your mouth more acidic, which in addition to low saliva production helps to rot your teeth. Also, I think a lot of meth heads have diets that aren’t real good for your teeth and bad dental hygiene…again, adding that together with low saliva production will help rot your teeth. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/7 "2010-06-19T21:02:38Z")
[Article from the wiki link](http://www.cjpf.org/drug/methmouth.htm) that traces the evolution of the myth. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/8 "2010-06-19T21:46:17Z")
> [@astro](#): > > [Article from the wiki link](http://www.cjpf.org/drug/methmouth.htm) that traces the evolution of the myth. Well, the myth is that meth itself is responsible for the tooth decay via some chemical means, when it’s really just dry mouth, lots of sugar, and lack of oral hygiene (and sometimes tooth grinding too) that cause the trouble. But the tooth decay associated with stimulant use isn’t mythical. ---
**Author:** ![scamartistry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@scamartistry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scamartistry)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/9 "2010-06-19T21:59:59Z")
Thanks for the great input! guess Ill stick to heroine… ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/10 "2010-06-19T23:02:11Z")
Heroin. ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/11 "2010-06-20T00:47:27Z")
> [@Savannah](#): > > Heroin. You’re my heroine. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/12 "2010-06-21T11:20:54Z")
Looks like I picked the wrong week to give up glue sniffing. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/13 "2010-06-21T11:26:12Z")
Teeth are overrated. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/14 "2010-06-21T11:29:51Z")
I know a couple of long-term amphet users with great, or at least, good teeth, so I think it is more a case of bad hygeine. It’s more likely that those dependent on amphetamine become less interested in trivialities like brushing your teeth and getting the right vitamins, than that a drug that’s going straight into your bloodstream is affecting your teeth. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/15 "2010-06-21T16:15:09Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > Looks like I picked the wrong week to give up glue sniffing. Johnny, how about some more coffee? ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-meth-user-loose-their-teeth/543744/16 "2010-06-21T20:26:18Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Johnny, how about some more coffee? No thanks!