-The aim of this study was to describe the dental health status of a group of Dutch 2(M0-yr-old drug addicts («=121) and to compare the results on DMFS with data of an age-comparable sample of the general adult population in the Netherlands (« = 1532). Mean DMFT of the addicted group was 16.9. ANOVA showed that the mean DMFS of the addicted group differed statistically signifi cantly from the DMFS of the general population of the same age (=52.1 versus 38.9). Statistically significant differences in DMFS were also found between the various age groups. The percentage of addicted subjects with more than cervical plaque on one or more teeth was 76.5%, 82.4% and 88.2% in the three youngest age groups. In almost all addicted subjects, bleeding of the gingiva was present. Only 36% had visited the dentist less than a year ago and 18% brushed their teeth less than once a day. It is concluded that there is a large gap in dental health status and behavior between drug addicts and the general population. Dental care as an inte gral part of the care for drug addicts is advocated.

This study investigated whether dental treatment plans and planning of general practitioners are different for addicted and identical non-addicted patients. Dental practitioners (n = 500) were sent a questionnaire with information on and questions about treatment for either an addicted or an identical non-addicted patient; response rate was 41 %. Loglinear analysis showed that after controlling for the influence of four demographic variables (sex, age number of patients and number of National Health Service insured patients), the treatment plans made for addicted patients were less elaborate than those for non-addicted. For the addicted, fillings or frames were proposed more often, whereas for non-addicted patients more often crowns or bridges were proposed. Extraction instead of filling was more often proposed for the addicted patient. Less elaborate treatment for addicted patients corresponds to the way dentists specialized in treating drug addicts work, with one exception: extraction should be avoided whether a patient is addicted or not. Treatment planning did not differentiate for addicted and non-addicted patients, whereas dentists specialized in treating addicted patients do recommend an adjusted treatment plan for the addicted.