Key Points
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Female prisoners have poorer oral health and more damaging oral health behaviours than the general female population.
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Although prisons promote healthy food options at mealtimes, most prisoners report high sugar intake between meals.
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Urgent action is needed to improve the very poor state of prisoners' oral health through a comprehensive tailored oral health improvement strategy.
Abstract
Objectives This study describes the oral health status and associated risk factors in a sample of female prisoners and compares their oral health to that of the female population from the 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey.
Method A random sample of prisoners was selected from HMP Holloway, London. Structured interviews were carried out to collect information on oral health behaviours and oral health related quality of life. Clinical examinations using the Adult Dental Health Survey criteria assessed the oral health needs of prisoners.
Results The mean age of female prisoners (n = 103) was 30.9 ± 9.6 years. The prevalence of oral diseases was high. Seventy-five percent had decayed or unsound teeth. The mean DMFT was 12.3 ± 7.5. Compared to the general female population, prisoners had more decayed and fewer filled teeth. Sixty-six percent had periodontal pockets of 4 mm or more. A large proportion (73%) reported at least one oral impact on daily performances. Prisoners were more likely than the general female population to engage in oral health damaging behaviours such as high sugar intake and smoking.
Conclusion This survey has demonstrated the poor state of oral health and identified considerable levels of unmet dental treatment needs in HMP Holloway. Urgent action is required to address this major public health problem.
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Acknowledgements
The prison survey was funded by the NHS Islington. The authors would like to thank Mr Richard Comerford, Interin Head of Healthcare and Drug Strategy at HMP Holloway, and Ms Stella Simpson, Deputy Head of Healhcare at HMP Holloway, for their logistic assistance and important support throughout the survey. We would like to extend our thanks to Laurence Wills and Sarabjit (Sonia) Labana for assisting with the field work. We also would like to thank the women prisoners who agreed to participate and to other prison staff for their assistance in escorting the participants.
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Rouxel, P., Duijster, D., Tsakos, G. et al. Oral health of female prisoners in HMP Holloway: implications for oral health promotion in UK prisons. Br Dent J 214, 627–632 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2013.581
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2013.581
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