Catching Up to Speed: Accelerating Your Understanding of "Meth Mouth" (BODEX)
Methamphetamine use and overdose deaths are on the rise in this country-driven by social isolation, loneliness, job loss, and trauma. Many dental professionals are seeing the consequences firsthand, as patients present with the physical, behavioral, and oral signs of methamphetamine use. Are you prepared to recognize methamphetamine use disorder in your patients, address its oral health impacts, and guide patients towards addiction treatment? Learn how to identify the signs of methamphetamine use during routine dental exams, manage its complex oral effects, and create effective treatment and referral strategies for patients whose lives-and smiles-have been impacted by this dangerous drug.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will learn:
• How to recognize the signs of methamphetamine use during a routine dental examination
• How to incorporate principles of harm reduction to increase patient safety
• How to develop treatment plans guided by a drug-use, caries-risk assessment
• How and where to refer patients for addiction treatment and harm/risk reduction services
Dr. Ronni Brown
Dr. Ronni Brown is a leader in dental public health focused on achieving equitable health outcomes for vulnerable populations. She is the Senior Community Health Planner for San Mateo County, responsible for overdose prevention, education, and awareness. The county’s Narcan distribution project, led by Dr. Brown, was highlighted by ABC, CBS and Fox Bay Area news stations. Her passion for reducing stigmas associated with substance use disorders stems from a 27- year dental career at the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility and her research on the oral effects of methamphetamine. She is the author of the 1 Amazon Best Seller “A State of Decay” and is the recipient of the 2025 UCSF Alumni Practitioner Award for her boundless clinical empathy and caring across multiple domains of health care. Dr. Brown received her dental and master’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and completed a dental public health residency from the University of California, San Francisco.
- Courses by Dr. Ronni Brown:
- Friday2:00 PM-4:59 PM, Course Code: F19, Catching Up to Speed: Accelerating Your Understanding of "Meth Mouth" (BODEX)
- Saturday8:30 AM-11:29 AM, Course Code: S4, Treating Between the Lines: Understanding Rx and Illicit Drug Abuse (BODEX)