Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

U Dental School to Provide Care for Substance Abusers

Andrea Smardon
/
KUER
University of Utah School of Dentistry

Dentistry students at University of Utah are about to start seeing some new patients. The U has received a 1.5 million dollar grant to treat people with substance abuse disorders.

Whether it’s tooth decay caused by methamphetamine abuse, or mouth infections related to other drug problems, people with substance abuse issues have high rates of oral health problems. That’s according to Glen Hanson, head of the Utah Addiction Center, and Interim Dean of the U’s School of Dentistry. To make matters worse, Hanson says, many of them don’t have access to care.

“Usually if they have a problem, it’s extreme,” Hanson says. “A tooth needs to be extracted or an abscess has to be addressed, and they go to the emergency room to get this care, which is not a good place to get oral health care.”

The school of dentistry has a 3-year grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to provide essential dental services to drug abusers. To get the dental care the patients have to also be participating in substance use treatment.

Dentistry students under the supervision of faculty members are expected to serve about 200 patients. Hanson says he hopes the project will provide unique training opportunities for the students and a model for treating this underserved population.

Andrea Smardon is new at KUER, but she has worked in public broadcasting for more than a decade. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and news announcer for WGBH radio. While in Boston, she produced stories for Morning Edition, Marketplace Money, and The World. Her print work was published in The Boston Globe and Boston.com. Prior to that, she worked at Seattleââ
KUER is listener-supported public radio. Support this work by making a donation today.