Sir, since February 2015, the Inspector of Prisons in Ireland has been undertaking a Review of the Irish Prison Services (IPS).1 One area that requires urgent attention is that of prisoner health but the oral health of Irish prisoners is conspicuously absent from the debate. Very little is known about the oral health of Irish prisoners but given the high prevalence of smoking, alcohol and substance abuse among inmates when compared with the rest of the Irish population,2 we can infer that the oral health needs of prisoners is high. However, no oral epidemiological survey of the Irish prison population has been conducted. In addition, it is not clear if, and how, the oral health needs of Irish prisoners are being meet by the current prison dental policy which only permits routine dental treatment to those who are sentenced to 16 months or more in prison. There is also no onsite access to dentists; prisoners are referred to a dentist in the nearby community based on the clinical judgement of a prison medical officer or prison nurse.
It is clear that the Irish Prison Service needs to recognise the importance of oral health to the health of prisoners and offer a more comprehensive dental healthcare service for its prisoners.3 The recent article series of Heidari et al. (BDJ 2014;217: 69–71; BDJ 2014;217: 117–121) confirms this as does the 'common risk factors'4 approach to understanding health. The recognition of the interconnectedness of physical, oral and psychological health should be reflected in IPS health policy and inform any future investment and development of its prison health service. It is only by acknowledging the equal importance of general, psychological and oral health will the IPS be able to deliver a prison health service that fully caters for the health needs of its inmates.
References
Office of the Inspector of Prisons. Available online at http://www.inspectorofprisons.gov.ie/ (accessed August 2015).
Drummond A, Codd M, Donnelly N et al. Study on the prevalence of drug use including intravenous drug use and blood-borne viruses among the Irish prisoner population. Dublin: National Advisory Committee on Drugs and Alcohol, 2014.
Bose A, Jenner T . Dental health in prisons. In Moller L, Stover H, Jurgens R, Gatherer A, Nikogosian H (ed) Health in prisons. A WHO Guide to the essentials in prison health. pp 147–156. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2007.
Watt R, Sheiham A . Integrating the common risk factor approach into a social determinants framework. Community Dent Oral 2012; 40: 289–296.
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Neville, P. Prison dentistry: Irish prisoners' oral health. Br Dent J 219, 146–147 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2015.641
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2015.641
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