MEDIUMIndustryTier 2
Behind bars, beyond care: Oral health in incarcerated populations
SourceRDH MagazineTier 2Clinical & Visual
By Sandra Morales, BSDH(c),Sarai Vega Leon, BSDH(c),Gabriela Michel Lopez, BSDH(c),Lesley Harbison, MS, RDH, EPP, FADHA
Originally at rdhmag.com
Summary & scoring by The Bell Brief (Dr. Jennifer Bell) using the Drill-Down Protocol (Drill-Down Score) — not the original publisher.
Why it matters for dental
Dental practices in or near correctional facilities, and DSOs that staff them, face unique billing, infection-control, and staffing compliance challenges when treating incarcerated patients.
Key points
- Over 11 million incarcerated individuals globally experience untreated dental disease at rates far higher than the general population.
- Systemic barriers include restricted access to routine care, limited provider networks, and delayed treatment of acute infections.
- Solutions proposed range from on-site dental clinics and tele-dentistry to policy changes for Medicaid/Medicare enrollment at release.
- Public-health departments and correctional-health contractors are the primary entities positioned to implement these changes.
Who should care
OwnerDSOSpecialist
Read the original on RDH Magazine
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