2018-05-14
/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/vancouver/2018/05/13/expensive-dental-problems-are-holding-back-people-in-addiction-recovery/van_badmouth_photo_for_interior_1.jpg)
Amber-Anne Christie, 36, spent years struggling through addiction and incarceration. But after turning her life around, she still finds herself struggling to find work because of the condition of her teeth. Researchers have found the relationship between oral health and addiction is far more complicated than ‘bad habits lead to bad teeth.’ (Perrin Grauer / StarMetro)
In an interview with The Star Vancouver about untreated dental problems among drug users, Dr. Leeann Donnelly, assistant professor in the Department of Oral Biological & Medical Sciences, said poor oral health is not only a consequence of addiction—it can cause a person to turn to drugs.
The article includes an in-depth personal narrative from Amber-Anne Christie, a former addict who has been incarcerated, as well as research findings from Donnelly and others at UBC.