Methadone Contributes to Bone and Dental Disease: Fact or Fiction?

Patients receiving or considering methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for opioid dependence often express concern that methadone causes bone disease and dental decay. Although this has long been considered a misconception, low bone density has been noted in some MMT patients. This cross-sectional study sought to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with vitamin-D deficiency in patients receiving MMT.

• Of the 93 patients enrolled in the study, 36% had evidence of vitamin-D deficiency and an additional 16% had evidence of insufficiency.
• Vitamin-D deficiency was associated with age over 40 and black or Hispanic race/ethnicity.
• Longer enrollment in MMT was not associated with vitamin-D deficiency.

Comments by Tom Delaney, MSW, MPA
An increasing number of addiction-treatment advocates and agencies are promoting a model of recovery that encompasses health issues beyond addiction itself. Such a model addresses what many addiction counselors have long observed and what has increasingly been verified in studies; i.e., that clients have a high incidence of comorbid conditions. Addiction counselors can have a major role in promoting emerging addiction treatment models by availing themselves of research on comorbid conditions such as that covered in this summary.