IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF A GROWING ORAL PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM?

In today’s world more and more people are using marijuana, but do they really know what the side effects are? There is so much controversy over this issue and not many people are giving the health side much consideration, especially when it starts with the younger generation.

In our field we in our Etobicoke Dental Office are following new research all the time:

“It is well known that frequent tobacco use can increase the risk of periodontal disease, but it was surprising to see that recreational cannabis users may also be at risk” said Dr. Shariff of Columbia University School of Dental Medicine in New York.

The dental research team has found “recreational use of cannabis including marijuana, hashish, and hash oil increases the risk of gum disease” said Dr. Shariff.

According to a recent study, frequent recreational cannabis users had more sites with pocket depths indicative of moderate to severe periodontal disease than less frequent users. This means there is little or no gum attachment to the tooth and with no gingival attachment, there is high risk for infection and bone loss; which leads to tooth loss.

More research is needed to determine if medical marijuana has a similar impact on oral health and oral cancer. It is suggested that dental care providers should ask their patients about their cannabis habits.