Today I took a bus I don't usually take, into a part of town I don't usually go. It wasn't the most efficient way to get where I was going, but I wanted to see what it was like, so I went
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I wasn't there and I didn't see what you saw, but it might not have been meth mouth. Cocaine abuse and excessive soda consumption (regular or diet soda) can do very similar damage. Heroin users and former alcoholics often have intense sugar cravings which damage teeth. Anyone living in the grip of active addiction or poverty (or both) is at greater risk for neglecting their oral health, or simply not being able to attend to oral health problems as they arise.
Unless someone discloses they've had a methamphetamine addiction, I don't think you can be sure.
But, regardless of how their mouths got that way, they apparently can't attend to taking care of their teeth or having restorative work done for whatever reasons. Those of us who can take better care of our mouths and bodies are privileged to be able to do so.
Cycles of poverty and addiction do a real number on people and it isn't pretty. I saw a lot of it when I worked at a methadone clinic.
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Unless someone discloses they've had a methamphetamine addiction, I don't think you can be sure.
But, regardless of how their mouths got that way, they apparently can't attend to taking care of their teeth or having restorative work done for whatever reasons. Those of us who can take better care of our mouths and bodies are privileged to be able to do so.
Cycles of poverty and addiction do a real number on people and it isn't pretty. I saw a lot of it when I worked at a methadone clinic.
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