Worcestershire Community Dental Team Offers Advice to Recovering Alcoholics and Drug Addicts
The community dental team from Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust hosted an informative session for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts on February 12th.
The session, which was organised in conjunction with Pathways to Recovery, a service that supports people struggling with addiction. The aim was to educate people about the potential oral health impacts of taking drugs and drinking alcohol to excess.
The dental team discussed issues such as bad breath, dry mouth and gum disease, in addition to educating the group about oral cancer, a form of cancer that is becoming more prevalent in the UK. Drinking alcohol is a known risk factor for oral cancer, a deadly disease affecting more than 6,000 people every year.
Alison Willis, dental coordinator at the trust, said that the oral health impact of taking drugs and drinking are often overlooked. Alcoholic drinks often contain a lot of sugar and they are acidic. Also, drinking is known to increase the risk of oral cancer. Drinking and taking drugs can affect oral hygiene patterns and habits and it is important for people to be aware of the possible consequences of their actions.
Tina Williams, locality lead at Pathways to Recovery, said that it can be easy to overlook oral health. However, helping people to get back on the straight and narrow can have a very positive impact on self-esteem and encourage them to focus on building it up, improve the way they present themselves and foster positive relationships and lifestyle choices. Once people start to recover, they are more likely to take steps to live a healthier lifestyle and this has benefits for oral and general health.
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