January JADA finds frequent marijuana use may be associated with caries

Study analyzed survey data from more than 5,500 people

Frequent recreational use of marijuana may be associated with increased coronal caries, root surface caries and severe tooth loss in American adults, according to a study published in the January issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association.

The cover story, “Frequent Recreational Cannabis Use and its Association with Caries and Severe Tooth Loss: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015-2018,” analyzed data from 5,656 people, aged 18 through 59, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2015 through 2018. Frequent recreational cannabis use was defined as the self-reported use of marijuana or hashish at least once per month for the past 12 months.

Those who reported using cannabis frequently were 17% more likely to have untreated coronal caries, 55% more likely to have untreated root surface caries and 41% more likely to have severe tooth loss than those who did not use cannabis frequently. The study controlled for age, sex, race or ethnicity, nativity, education, family income to poverty ratio, and alcohol consumption.

“Dental care professionals should be aware that [frequent recreational cannabis] use may be associated with caries and tooth loss,” the authors wrote in the study.

They suggested further longitudinal studies are warranted to assess the impact of varying frequencies, quantities and forms of cannabis use.

Other articles in the January issue of JADA discuss daily flossing and the risk of cardiovascular disease, patient and practitioner perspectives on tooth extractions, and dental antibiotic use.

Every month, JADA articles are published online at JADA.ADA.org. ADA members can access JADA content with their ADA username and password.