Association of Drug Use and Erosive Tooth Wear in Prisoners: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Introduction: The present study evaluated the association between drug use and erosive tooth wear (ETW) in prisoners.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical research carried out in Southern Brazil. Data collection took place through the application of questionnaires and clinical examination. ETW was assessed using the BEWE index and the use of illicit substances using the Screening Test for Involvement with Alcohol, Smoking and Other Substances (WHO). Data were tabulated and statistics were performed using the STATA 14.0 software.

Results: A total of 653 volunteers participated in the research, and prisoners were mostly male (94.0%), self-declared as black (53.5%), with average age of 34 years (SD = 10.17). It was possible to identify that 81.3% of prisoners have used some type of drug during their lives, the most prevalent being alcohol (74.2%) followed by cocaine (46.0%). Through clinical examination, it was detected that 49.6% of prisoners evaluated showed some degree of erosive wear (BEWE >0). In the univariate analysis, prisoners with higher schooling (≥8 years) and age between 18 and 29 years had statistical association with ETW index ≥3, respectively (p = 0.010) and (p = 0.015). In the multivariate analysis, there was no association between dental wear and drug use.

Conclusion: It was possible to observe high consumption of drugs by prisoners and the prevalence of ETW; however, the hypothesis that drug consumption would be associated with the presence of ETW in the prison population was rejected.