Tannhelsetilbudet til innsatte i norske fengsler. En spørreundersøkelse blant fengselsansatte og fengselstannleger

Abstract

Introduction: The extents of dental health issues are greater among prisoners compared to the general population. This study aimed to assess the dental services available to inmates in Norwegian prisons.

Method: Electronic questionnaires were sent to 42 dentists treating inmates, and 43 prison workers.

Results: Forty dentists and 38 prison workers participated in the study. 17 out of 18 counties and all five regions were represented. Most of the participants in the study worked with inmates from small prisons. The majority reported that their prison did not have a dental clinic, and almost all reported that the distance between prison and dental clinic was less than 10 km. In prisons with a dental clinic, the dentists were present one or two times a week. Dental hygienists were rarely utilised as work force. Acute problems were the most common cause of ofe inmates visiting the dentist. Preservative treatment was the most common treatment therapy, and information regarding the right to acute treatment was considerably better than information regarding the right to preventive treatment. Inmates often struggled with dental anxiety, which was regarded as a barrier to examination and treatment. Inmates had good access to general dental hygiene aids in prison, while access to extra preventive items like dental floss and interdental cleaning aids were limited. The dentists considered the level of knowledge among inmates regarding the importance of fluoride and caries prevention, as low. The treatment need among inmates was reported to be larger than the available resources covered. The majority of the dentists wished they could do more treatment to improve the dental health of the inmates.

Conclusion: Dental services for inmates varied between prisons. It seems like prisons without a dental clinic experienced more difficulties than prisons with a dental clinic. It would be appropriate to consider more preventive focus in dental services for inmates. Future studies should explore inmates’ perspectives on dental services.