ABSTRACT

Background: Crack is the most addictive and potent derivative of cocaine. There is a scarcity of information regarding the oral health of crack users and also the impact this has on their quality of life. The aim of this literature review was to ascertain information regarding oral health and also its impact on the quality of life of crack users.

Methods: The keywords oral health, quality of life, crack cocaine and drug users were applied to the databases PubMed, Google Scholar and Scielo to obtain the articles. Articles used were published between 1992 and 2017.

Results: Crack cocaine users present poor oral health and are usually polydrug users or have a history of consuming other substances such as cannabis, alcohol, tobacco and opiates. The use of crack may individually impact oral health or may be attributed to the effect of polydrug usage, henceforth impacting their quality of life. In addition, socio demographic and behavioural factors may also impact oral health-related quality of life.

Conclusion: Crack has an impact on the oral health of crack users, which also affects their quality of life. This demonstrates the importance of dental surgeons being included in multidisciplinary teams responsible for the rehabilitation of crack addicts.