Identifying oral health care needs for recovering drug users

Objectives: The recovering drug addict may emerge from the maelstrom of personal chaos accompanied by many well documented serious health issues arising commonly as result of prioritisation decisions. This student led study looked at the factors which a group of recovering drug addicts felt were important to enable their engagement with the oral health care profession. Methods: As a part of a student SSU project, two inner city drug rehabilitation support centres were approached to allow formal client interview. A questionnaire was designed by the student group who then interviewed the clients. They were questioned about their oral health experiences including those issues which most influence their attendance at oral health facilities. Results: 61 interviews were conducted 38 male and 23 female. 76% felt oral health was as or more important than other health issues, with 91% brushing their teeth and 30% using mouthwash. However 93% reported recent dental problems, 31% self treated and 30% did nothing. 75% recognise that dental primary care is available including access centres, although 67% did not feel it was easily available to them. Although 37% would like to have access to a dental walk-in-centre 52% would prefer to have an appointment system. Although 60% felt pain was the main indication to seek care 77% felt that appearance was important as it was perceived as an indicator of general health recapture. Conclusion: Encouraging recovering drug addicts to address oral health demands accessibility to regular care as well as realisation that this group associate appearance of teeth as an indicator to outside world as indicating health reconstruction. This could help to design care provision for this group.