Oral Health Status of Prisoners in India: A Systematic Review

Poor oral health can be a precursor to serious diseases including oral cavity and oral cancers. However, oral health assessments and screenings are largely neglected in vulnerable populations, such as prisoners in developing countries. Little efforts have been made to address this public health problem. The purpose of this systematic review is to provide an overview of oral health status of prisoners in India. Following PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols), 13 studies were selected that assessed the oral health status of prisoners in India and were published in English between January 2010 and May 2016. The review indicated that prisoners have a high prevalence of dental caries, missing teeth and filled teeth score ranging from 2.7 to 5.7, poor periodontal status (60-90%), and high prevalence of oro-mucosal lesions (as high as 60%). The poor standards of past oral care and virtual absence of oral health care facility necessitates policy amendments to improve the oral health of prisoners. It is important to not only assess and treat the diagnosed oral diseases but also to develop preventative measures for this relatively isolated and vulnerable population. This is the first systematic review to assess oral health among prisoners in India. This study will encourage policy makers to develop appropriate preventative and treatment programs for oral health of the prisoners.