Oral health status of heroin users in a rehabilitation centre in Hubei province, China

Objective To report on the oral health of heroin users and to determine ris k factors for oral health status. Design All heroin users at one rehabilita tion camp received an interview using a pre-tested questionnaire from one o f three trained interviewers and a dental examination using World Health Or ganization recommended procedures from one of three calibrated dentists. Se tting Interviews and examinations were carried out at Hubei Province camp. Participants All 520 resident heroin users at the camp participated in the study. Outcome measures Oral hygiene expressed using the Debris Index; cari es status by DMFT, periodontal status by percentage with bleeding, pocketin g and calculus: mucosal status using standard World Health Organization cri teria. Results One hundred (19%) of the heroin users were caries free; thei r mean DMFT was 4.2. The majority (92%) of the DMFT was decay and only a sm all proportion (8%) was treatment related. The proportion of heroin users w ith bleeding, calculus, shallow pocketing and deep pocketing was 42%, 95%. 42% and 8% respectively. The mean Debris Index score was 3.2. Mucosal lesio ns were present in 31 subjects (6%). Using multivariate analysis, duration of heroin use and education were risk factors for DMFT, route of drug admin istration was a risk factor for calculus and gender was a risk factor for d eep pocketing. Conclusions There are indications of poorer periodontal heal th as well as higher caries experience in this group when compared to provi ncial dental epidemiological data. Mucosal lesions were not widely prevalen t. Both social factors and characteristics of drug use were related to oral health in this group.