View full sizeOswego County has been the location of several meth lab busts, including a mobile lab seized in parking lot of Lowe's Plaza, meth lab found in a Town of Williamstown, and two accused of making meth in Mexico.
Another sign of the growing meth problem in Oswego County is being noticed by local dentists.
General Dentistry's, Dr. Robert Schaefer, told News Channel 9 that he's seeing more and more cases of a condition known as "meth mouth."
Schaefer said, “The cavities that occur with the use of methamphetamine usually develop on the front surfaces of the teeth. The decay from methamphetamine is very, very obvious. It's very different from other types of oral conditions.”
The American Dental Association's website says that dental health care professionals should be aware that methamphetamine use is widespread in the U.S. because it's cheap, easy to make and the high lasts much longer than crack cocaine. Meth is a potent central nervous system stimulant that can cause shortness of breath, hyperthermia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, irregular heart beat, high blood pressure, permanent brain damage and rampant tooth decay. Users describe their teeth as "blackened, stained, rotting, crumbling or falling apart." Teeth often cannot be salvaged and must be extracted.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is asking for more federal and private help to combat illegal methamphetamine use and production. Oswego county wants to be designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which would bring in more money for its drug task force.
“Getting some Federal help to coordinate across county borders so that drugs that might start in Syracuse and end up in Oswego, or vice versa, can be treated makes a lot of sense,” Schumer told Channel 9.
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