Sammanfattning
Norway has provisions for drug addicts who have been in the rehabilitation at least three months, thus they are entitled to dental treatment, sponsored by the Norwegian government. Often drug addicts' dental - and oral health is in poor condition due to poor oral hygiene, malnutrition, high consumption of sweetened soft drinks, which in turn causes dental erosion, as well as drug abuse in itself causes dry mouth that speeds up the progression of dental caries and other dental and oral diseases. It is common knowledge that people with damaged teeth, lack of teeth, or poor oral hygiene have less chance to be socially included. The intention from the Norwegian government was to support this group by offering dental treatment free of charge and thereby increase the chances of a successful start of a new, healthier and more traditional lifestyle. The aim of this study was therefore to examine the effectiveness of such dental service. The same dentist examined all participants. The dental treatment was defined in three stages. This study found that more than half of the drug addicts in rehabilitation completed dental treatment provided, suggesting the provision available in the county of Rogaland sponsored by the Norwegian government could be an important step to healthier and more traditional lifestyle for drug addicts after rehabilitation.