title: An overview of the prison population and the general health status of prisoners.
abstract: This article is the first in a series of four, which explore the oral and dental health of male prisoners in the United Kingdom. The series comprises: an overview of the general and oral health status of male prisoners, a discussion on how multi-disciplinary team working can be used to benefit the care of patients in prison environments and a description of the future planning of dental services for male prisoners. The oral health of prisoners is linked to their general health status, due in part to the presence of common risk factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol and in some cases use of recreational drugs, poor dietary and poor oral hygiene habits. Barriers to healthcare services can all have an effect on oral disease in this group. This paper highlights some of the common medical problems that oral healthcare providers face when treating prisoners in male UK prison establishments.
authors.affiliation: King's College London Dental Institute, Floor 26, Tower Wing. Guy's Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heidari
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.affiliation: King's College London Dental Institute, Floor 26, Tower Wing. Guy's Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dickson
authors.affiliation: King's College London Dental Institute, Floor 26, Tower Wing. Guy's Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Newton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D003729:Dental Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011330:Prisons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult