Oral health of incarcerated young people: a scoping review

Incarcerated children and adolescents often experience significant disadvantage, heightened health risks, and limited access to healthcare services. Oral health has previously been overlooked in reviews of the health needs of this population. This review identifies and maps evidence on the oral health of incarcerated children and adolescents.

The review followed PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews and involved searching five electronic databases (MEDLINE via OVID, CINAHL, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) for primary research papers published from January 2000 to April 2025. Search result screening and data extraction were independently undertaken by at least two reviewers.

24 studies, all cross-sectional, were identified for inclusion, with data available from all global regions except Oceania and Africa. Dental caries and periodontal health were the most commonly investigated conditions. Where reported, untreated dental caries prevalence ranged from 42 to 90%; dental trauma prevalence ranged from 11 to 32%. A need for improved oral hygiene and/or professional cleaning was ubiquitous, but periodontitis was rare. Endodontic complications, clinical presence of third molars, and "handicapping" malocclusion were also noted. The developmental defects and wear data were absent.

Research regarding the oral health of incarcerated children and adolescents is sparse and lacks standardised methodologies. The available data indicate a high prevalence of untreated dental disease in these populations and an unmet need for general dental care and potential need for specialist-level dental care in youth detention settings.