Oral health services in prison settings: A global scoping review of availability, accessibility, and model of delivery

Abstract

This review aimed at evaluating the state of availability, accessibility and model of delivery of oral health services in prisons, globally. Five databases of peer‐reviewed literature and potential sources of grey literature were systematically searched. Inclusion criteria encompassed oral health papers related to prisons globally, with exclusion of certain article types. Selection involved independent evaluations by two researchers, followed by quality assessment. Data on the availability of oral health interventions in prisons came from 18 countries, while information on the model of delivery of the services is scarce. In addition, two sets of individual and organizational barriers toward oral health service uptake in prisons were revealed and discussed in the text. Lack of oral health services in prisons affects people living in prisons and jeopardizes their reintegration. Urgent and concrete international actions are required to ensure the availability, accessibility, and quality of oral health services among people living in prisons.

Improving Oral Health in Prisons: Protocol for a randomized Controlled Trial (PriOH) (Preprint)

“…Poor oral health tends to affect people living in prisons disproportionately [1,2], which may be attributed to the lack of accessible oral health services within correctional facilities, financial barriers, a lack of awareness and priority, and limited use of oral health hygiene products and tools [3]. Scholars argue that ensuring good oral health for people who have been incarcerated and are in the process of reintegrating into society is particularly important because it can lead to a more successful outcome [4].…”

“…Assuring good oral health for people living in prisons is described as an international challenge. It is often related to the lack of staffing and logistical issues during transfer to and from dental clinics [3,5,6]. These barriers may also explain why, in Norwegian prisons, emergency dental treatment tends to be the most sought reason for dental care [6].…”

Effectiveness of oral health education on oral hygiene status among adult male inmates in central jail, Kolkata – an interventional study

“…For security reasons, dental equipment allowed is restricted, making dental examinations challenging. Challenges are also faced with respect to recruitment and retention of dental staff in relation to strong demand and lucrative remuneration for dentists in private practice (Reddy et al , 2012; Kumar et al , 2017; Balkrishna et al , 2022; Amaya et al , 2023). There are three main types of barriers to the receipt of dental care: individual, professional and social.…”

“…They carry a much greater burden of illness than other members of the society; they harbour diseases that are determined both by the environment out of which they come and by the prison in which they live. They are at higher risk of various medical, dental and emotional disorders than those in the general population (World Health Organization, 2014; Saxena et al , 2016; Kumar et al , 2022; Amaya et al , 2023).…”