Just Say No (to Periodontitis)

by Rob on February 6, 2008 · 16 comments

in Being a Doctor

Scary Stuff in MedPage headlines today:

DUNEDIN, New Zealand, Feb. 5 — Marijuana use is a powerful risk factor for periodontal disease in young adults, researchers found.
About 26% of 32-year-olds who smoked pot weekly showed signs of serious periodontal disease, compared with 12.1% of infrequent users and 4% of non-users, reported W. Murray Thomson, Ph.D., of the Sir John Walsh Research Institute here, and colleagues in the Feb. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Wow.

I think we finally can lick this annoying problem with drugs in our society.  Imagine the fear that you could put into the hearts of school-aged children and teens when they are told that smoking pot can lead to this:

Yuk!  Talk about scare tactics…

I think it would have a bigger effect than frying an egg.

This material, written by me, is free to re-post and share under the Creative Commons agreement. In other words, use it all you want; just give me credit.
  • http://medstudentwife.blogspot.com/ medstudentwife

    Like “meth mouth” scared them all…..

  • http://medstudentwife.blogspot.com/ medstudentwife

    Like “meth mouth” scared them all…..

  • http://www.thelaundress.blogspot.com/ The Laundress

    For sure, that scary black spider on the incisor will give people fits. What an image! Jeepers Dr. Rob, you have scared me off weed and dentists.
    tl (who has sparkly white and straight teeth, no doubt a result of clean living).

  • http://www.thelaundress.blogspot.com The Laundress

    For sure, that scary black spider on the incisor will give people fits. What an image! Jeepers Dr. Rob, you have scared me off weed and dentists.
    tl (who has sparkly white and straight teeth, no doubt a result of clean living).

  • http://chrysalisangel1.blogspot.com/ Chrys

    I, like medstudentwife, thought of the “meth mouth.” Those people don’t even look the same after being on that nasty stuff. It just sucks the life right out of them. They are toothless, worn, and haggard afterward. Too bad we couldn’t do computer imaging to show them what they would look like after, before they ever touch the stuff.

  • http://chrysalisangel1.blogspot.com Chrys

    I, like medstudentwife, thought of the “meth mouth.” Those people don’t even look the same after being on that nasty stuff. It just sucks the life right out of them. They are toothless, worn, and haggard afterward. Too bad we couldn’t do computer imaging to show them what they would look like after, before they ever touch the stuff.

  • Rob

    TL: Do you think that the spider thingy is from pot too, or is it an added bonus from other areas of poor decision-making? We should do a study on Rastafarians and Bill Clinton – see how the gums are doing. Does it make a difference if you don’t inhale? I doubt it.

  • Rob

    TL: Do you think that the spider thingy is from pot too, or is it an added bonus from other areas of poor decision-making? We should do a study on Rastafarians and Bill Clinton – see how the gums are doing. Does it make a difference if you don’t inhale? I doubt it.

  • http://www.surgeonsblog.blogspot.com/ Sid Schwab

    The bigger issue is, what’s up with that tongue? And the unfortunate use of the term “lick this annoying problem…” No way, man. Not with that tongue.

  • http://www.surgeonsblog.blogspot.com Sid Schwab

    The bigger issue is, what’s up with that tongue? And the unfortunate use of the term “lick this annoying problem…” No way, man. Not with that tongue.

  • The Laundress

    Wait a minute, Dr. Rob — YOU saw the spider-thingy too? I wasn’t just me? Um, and all of those other spiders? You see them as well?
    –anonymous

  • The Laundress

    Wait a minute, Dr. Rob — YOU saw the spider-thingy too? I wasn’t just me? Um, and all of those other spiders? You see them as well?
    –anonymous

  • http://seaspray-itsawonderfullife.blogspot.com/ SeaSpray

    Dr Rob…it was so nice hearing you on the show last night. I love your sense of humor and am glad that you are back in the blogosphere! :)

  • http://seaspray-itsawonderfullife.blogspot.com SeaSpray

    Dr Rob…it was so nice hearing you on the show last night. I love your sense of humor and am glad that you are back in the blogosphere! :)

  • PapaLo

    hmm this is funny because I have smoked weed on a daily basis since the 70′s. I’ve never smoked crack, meth, or any other drug that is chemical based. I hold down a very stable job, have a wife and daughter, and live a normal life. The thing I find funny is my teeth have NEVER looked like this. My teeth are actually very well kept (I do have a fake canine, but that was from surgery as a child).

    I have a VERY strong feeling that this “statistic” was received with minimal background inspection. Did these doctors ask these 26% of people if they have or ever smoked cigarettes, crack cocaine, or methamphetamine’s. If they did ask these questions, I’d love to know the statistics for those.

    This is just another example of ill informed statistics being used to brainwash a generation of people using fear. Take me as an example. Weed will NOT destroy your teeth like this UNLESS your doing other drugs (or smoking cigarettes).

    BY THE WAY
    To this very day, the yearly death toll of people off of marijuana consumption is still 0. The number for LEGAL prescription drugs? 750,000.

    Look it up.

  • PapaLo

    hmm this is funny because I have smoked weed on a daily basis since the 70′s. I’ve never smoked crack, meth, or any other drug that is chemical based. I hold down a very stable job, have a wife and daughter, and live a normal life. The thing I find funny is my teeth have NEVER looked like this. My teeth are actually very well kept (I do have a fake canine, but that was from surgery as a child).

    I have a VERY strong feeling that this “statistic” was received with minimal background inspection. Did these doctors ask these 26% of people if they have or ever smoked cigarettes, crack cocaine, or methamphetamine’s. If they did ask these questions, I’d love to know the statistics for those.

    This is just another example of ill informed statistics being used to brainwash a generation of people using fear. Take me as an example. Weed will NOT destroy your teeth like this UNLESS your doing other drugs (or smoking cigarettes).

    BY THE WAY
    To this very day, the yearly death toll of people off of marijuana consumption is still 0. The number for LEGAL prescription drugs? 750,000.

    Look it up.

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