Oral Health Inequalities among Female Prisoners in Pakistan: Risk Factors, and Access to Dental Care

Abstract

Prisoners in general exhibit unsatisfactory oral conditions, especially regarding the large number of missing teeth and untreated caries. The purpose of the study was to determine the oral health of women in prison. A sample of 108 women prisoners was included with a convenient sample from the Kot Lakh Pat Jail in Lahore. Data was collected regarding oral health practices, characteristics of oral health, and oral health-related quality of life. Data was coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. Categorical variables were summarized into frequencies and percentages. Chi-square and Pearson tests were used to check the demographic variables and dental condition. The P-value of (<0.05) was considered statistically significant. Most of the female prisoners 59.1% were cleaning their teeth once a day in the morning; a statistically significant relationship was noted between the level of education and oral hygiene practice (p=0.001). The majority of 61.1%, had good teeth, while 11.1% were with missing teeth due to carries, 25.9% had the complaint of tooth sensitivity. Out of 108 inmates, 53 (49%) needed preventive treatment due to dental caries and tooth sensitivity, while 12 (11.1%) needed restoration of decayed teeth. Based on this research, we have concluded that oral health among inmates was not ideal. The major concern was dental caries and tooth sensitivity indicates the need to improve oral health by taking preventive measures.