How Dentistry Improves Addiction Recovery Efforts

Barely any families go untouched by physical and emotional disorders. Many families have multiple members suffering from a variety of disorders, among them substance use disorder.

“This is a problem that we take seriously and care about in our Boynton Beach dental office,” says Jamie J. Alexander, D.D.S. “I and other professionals on my clinical care team have been touched by this in our own extended families. It gives us a special joy to compassionately, carefully and effectively diagnose the oral health problems of those in recovery and provide the comprehensive treatment that will restore comfort, health, and a beautiful smile. That beautiful smile is life-transforming as these special patients courageously make their journey through recovery. It’s exciting to see increased focus and research in this area of health care.”

A recent University of Utah study recently demonstrated that comprehensive oral health care by a dental professional increased the physical and emotional recovery of patients in recovery for substance use disorder. The team of researchers at the University of Utah School of Dentistry explored the effect of comprehensive oral care as part of a more holistic approach to substance use treatment. More specifically, those participants in the study who had their major oral health problems addressed stayed in treatment two times longer and had a more than 80 percent increase in completing their substance abuse treatment program. The results of the study were published online on May 20, 2019, in the Journal of the American Dental Association. The statistical analysis supports the idea that the improvements in substance abuse treatment outcomes were associated with the comprehensive dental care and not to other variables such as gender, type of drug abused, treatment facility, or age.

Glen Hanson, D.D.S., Ph.D., at the University of Utah, and his colleagues on the research team believe that providing complete oral care as part of treating the whole patient, is critical to resurrecting self-esteem and restoring important body functions as an essential first step on the long path to recovery from drug abuse.

“In our own dental practice in Boynton Beach, we have helped numerous patients recover their smiles while recovering their lives,” says Dr. Jamie Alexander, who has Master’s Certification in Addiction Studies from the University of Michigan.

Addressing Dentistry and Addiction Recovery at Our Dental Practice

Dr. Alexander has a deep understanding of human emotions, PTSD and addiction behaviors, and systemic health issues that can influence a patient’s dental experience and ultimately, their acceptance of care. His encouraging style of consultation helps patients understand they deserve the best health and the best smile. In committed partnership with patients, he helps them achieve their goals according to his philosophy of comprehensive relationship-based dentistry, his goal of open and honest communication, and his personal commitment to the best of care.

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