Oral care in the Spanish prison setting

Addressing the health problems of prison inmates is a major challenge for public administrations, which are responsible for guaranteeing the necessary services to deal with them. It is therefore essential to know which are the chronic pathologies that affect them most frequently, what impact they have on the oral cavity and what type of treatments are required. The aim of this study is to shed further light on these questions.

Articles in PubMed on chronic and oral pathologies and treatment needs were reviewed.

The most prevalent chronic pathologies are heart disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes and cancer. Anxiety and depression are also highly prevalent among the prison population, along with the consumption of tobacco, alcohol and drugs of abuse. They are responsible for the appearance of caries and periodontal diseases, the treatment of which should be carried out in the prison environment.

The level of dental care among the prison population is very low. Therefore, it is necessary to implement preventive and therapeutic measures among inmates to improve their oral health and, consequently, their general health.