Beyond Gingivitis

I never knew how much I appreciated dental hygiene until recently, when I saw a patient with several teeth that were visibly rotting, and a stupendously receded gum line on her lower jaw.  It looked as if her central incisors were held up almost solely by levitation.  "I think I have a tooth infection," she said in what I believe is the understatement of the year.  For some unknown reason, she adamantly refused to go to the dentist.  I visualized myself with a sturdy pair of Kelly clamps and a half gallon of novocaine, removing bad teeth like a vigilante in the name of Truth, Justice and Dentures.  I would not have been surprised to see a maggot crawling by her 2nd or 3rd molars.  Why do methamphetamine users always have the worst teeth?