Substance Use Disorders: Its Influence on the Self-Perceived and Normative Oral Healthcare Needs in Adolescents and Young Adults Attending the University of Benin Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) significantly impact general and oral health, particularly among adolescents and young adults. While SUDs are associated with increased oral disease burden, there is limited data assessing both perceived and professionally evaluated (normative) oral healthcare needs in this population. The objective was to evaluate the influence of substance use disorders (SUD) on the perceived and normative needs for oral healthcare among adolescents and young adults receiving treatment for SUDs at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.

Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 51 participants aged 10–25 years diagnosed with SUDs using DSM-5 criteria. Data were collected using a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and clinical oral examinations assessing oral hygiene (OHI-S), periodontal status (CPITN), dental caries (DMFT), and mucosal lesions. Associations between substance use patterns, perceived oral health, and normative needs were analyzed using SPSS v23 with significance set at p<0.05.

Results: The majority were males (86.3%) aged 20–25 years (94.1%), with cannabis being the most used substance (74.5%). While over half rated their oral health as good (56.9%) and felt they needed dental care (54.9%), 70.6% had never visited a dentist. Clinically, most had fair oral hygiene (51.0%), moderate periodontal treatment needs (88.2%), and 56.9% had no caries. A significant association was found between cannabis use and self-rated good oral health (p=0.019).

Conclusion: Most adolescents and young adults diagnosed with substance use disorders perceived their oral health needs as good, whereas their normative oral healthcare needs were mostly fair. Those in need of oral healthcare, such as scaling and polishing, and dental caries treatment had no perception of the need for treatment, especially those who had a recent history of substance use.