Evaluation of Oral Manifestations Associated with Drug Abuse: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: We aimed to investigate the relationship between drug abuse and standardized oral health indices, including the plaque index (PI), the gingival index (GI), the calculus index (Cl), and decayed, missing, filled surfaces (DMFS). Methods: Participants were divided into three groups: (A) Control: Healthy adults with no history of drug use, selected from the Baghdad Al_Karkh health center, (B) Crystal (Methamphetamine) addiction, and (C) Mixed Addiction (Captagon, cannabis, and alcohol). A comprehensive dental examination is performed to assess the status of periodontal diseases and dental caries. Results: We found a significant difference among study groups regarding PI, GI, CI, and DMFS ( P < 0.001). Pairwise post hoc comparisons showed a nonsignificant difference regarding PI, GI, and CI between the crystal addiction and mixed addiction groups ( P > 0.05). The crystal addiction group showed significantly lower DMFS than mixed addiction ( P = 0.019). Conclusion: Chronic drug abuse adversely affects oral health, with characterized by increased plaque accumulation, gingival inflammation, calculus deposition, and caries prevalence.