Methylphenidate use and restorative treatment in 13,000 young adults with ADHD

ObjectiveTo assess a dose-response effect of methylphenidate use on restorative treatment needs, which served as an indicator of caries. Subjects and MethodsThis study is a retrospective cohort of military recruits aged 18-25 who served for 12 to 48 months between 2005 and 2017. The cohort included 6,875 subjects with ADHD who received treatment with methylphenidate, 6,729 subjects with ADHD who had no prescriptions for methylphenidate, and 200,000 healthy controls. The outcome was normative treatment needs: having at least one recommendation for restorative treatment during the study period. ResultsFrequency of recommendation for restorative treatment among the treated, the untreated and the control groups was 24%, 22% and 17%, respectively (p<0.0001). On multivariate analysis, the dose-response association between methylphenidate use and the odds of having at least one restorative treatment was confirmed (OR=1.006 for each additional 1 gr of methylphenidate; 95% CI [1.004:1.009]). ConclusionsSubjects with ADHD who receive chronic treatment with methylphenidate have higher restorative treatment needs than subjects with untreated ADHD and healthy controls. Our results show that chronic methylphenidate medication among young adults leads to an elevated need for restorative treatment and implies a significant impact on oral health.