THE DENTAL NIGHTMARE OF METHAMPHETAMINE

Glenda has had to have four teeth pulled over the six months that she
has been in the White County Detention Center, and she lost several
others prior to her incarceration. She said her teeth are brittle,
"like chicken bones," and several have broken off while she was eating.

Glenda, who asked that her last name would not be disclosed, suffers
from "meth mouth," a dental problem caused by long-term use of
methamphetamine. Running rampant in American jails, "meth mouth"
carries a hidden cost not only to the users of meth but also to the
taxpayers, who often have to pay for the dental care of inmates.

"I see it every time I look in the mirror," Glenda said.

She opened her mouth, revealing that most of her molars are missing.
The missing teeth have caused the others to shift, leaving gaps
between her few remaining teeth, which glisten in varying shades of
brown. Her front teeth have turned black at the gum line and will no
doubt soon have to be pulled.

"I've got a mouthful of dental problems. I know it's because of
meth," Glenda said. Tears flooded her eyes and ran down her cheeks
several times Tuesday as she talked about the damage methamphetamine
use has caused her teeth and her life.

"You can sure tell when they use meth," Dr. J.D. Patterson, a Searcy
dentist who takes care of dental problems for inmates of the White
County Detention Center, said.

Patterson said the acid used to manufacture meth destroys the enamel
on the teeth, eating through it and turning the dentine black.

John W. Shaner, an associate professor at the Creighton University
Medical Center in Omaha, recently told the New York Times that a dry
mouth -- a side effect of methamphetamine use -- is another factor in
"meth mouth." The benevolent bacteria that protect the teeth cannot
survive without saliva. Meth users often compound their dental
problems by drinking sugar-laden drinks or chewing gum to combat a dry mouth.

Both Patterson and Sergeant Denise Whaley, coordinator of medical
services for the White County Sheriff's Department, said the number
of inmates with dental problems are on the rise.

"I used to get one or two inmates a week [requesting emergency dental
care]. Now it's six or seven a week," Whaley said. She estimated that
the overall number of requests had risen from 50 to 150 annually.

Patterson said, "I've seen a lot more inmates the last three or four
years than I did before." About 15 to 20 percent of all the inmates
he treats are suffering from "meth mouth," he said.

"I can tell you that probably 75 percent of the inmates are here
because of meth use," Whaley said.

Whaley said that White County officials try to avoid making the
taxpayers shoulder the burden of medical and dental care for inmates.
When people are checked into the jail, a jailer places any cash in
the detainee's possession into an envelope and stores it in a safe.

A clerk records the cash amount, and charges medical and dental
expenses to the inmates' account, Whaley said.

"We are required to give emergency care on teeth, but not just to fix
routine problems," Whaley said. However, if the family makes
arrangements and deposits a sufficient amount of money into an
inmate's account, non-emergency dental work can be arranged.

Patterson said some of the inmates' teeth might be saved by putting
crowns on the teeth. "But when you are looking at crowns for six or
eight teeth, that's very expensive," he said. Most inmates simply
have to have the painful teeth pulled.

Whaley explained that meth users often don't notice the painful teeth
while they are under the influence of the drug. "They get in here and
off dope, and their teeth hurt."

She said many couldn't afford medical or dental care because of their
expensive drug habit.

"They have to pay cash when they go to the doctor or dentist." A lot
of them aren't paying cash for their drugs, Whaley said. They are
writing hot checks or stealing. "The dealer may take a stolen VCR for
drugs, but the dentist won't," she said.

Glenda said she used methamphetamine for a short time when she was as
a teenager, and then she was "clean" for 17 years. She used meth
again for five years before being sentenced to one year in jail.

"The tooth problems start right away. You just don't see them until
later," Glenda said. "Once the damage is done, you can't take it away."

Glenda said what she regrets most are the hardships she has caused
her family. Her two children are currently living with her parents.
"My parents are retired. They don't deserve this," she said.

She said she got back on meth "because of stupidity, mainly. I was
weak. I was tired of being alone, raising my kids alone. There was a
man... It was that or not have him. I thought I wanted him. It was
the biggest nightmare of my life."

In spite of everything, Glenda said she is lucky, as many of the
girls in jail with her have lost everything: their families and their home.

"I still have my family. If I hadn't worked so hard the years I
worked, I wouldn't have my home."

Glenda said when she first started using meth five years ago, she
spent about $50 a week on the drug. By the time she went to jail, her
habit was costing her $300-500 a week. She said she never let her
kids know that she was using meth, so it came as a big surprise to
her teenaged son. She said he has forgiven her now.

Her mother recently brought her photos of her children. "They are so
beautiful. Their teeth were so white and even that I cried," Glenda said.

She said she agreed to speak out publicly to help others avoid drugs.
"If I can get the word out and keep just one kid from getting on it,
it's worth it," Glenda said.

Glenda understands that a meth addiction imperils more than just her teeth.

Dr. Jerry Jones of Arkansas Children's Hospital recently told the
Associated Press that children who live in meth users' homes
frequently suffer abuse because meth users can become prone to
violence. Jones observed that children who were exposed to meth fumes
often exhibited burns to their mouths and throats, as well as trauma
to their lungs.

Glenda said when she gets out of jail, she hopes to avoid getting
involved in drugs again. "I'm going to keep Jesus in my heart, and
I'm going to spend all my time with my kids and go to church with my
kids," she said. "I don't want to be like some of these girls and
lose my kids."

"When I get out, I just want to live a normal life," Glenda said.

Whaley said, "Most of the people in here are not bad people. They
just got into something they didn't know how to get out of."