Oral health behind bars: a study of oral disease and its impact on the life quality of an older prison population.

Objective: The principal aims of this study were to report on the prevalence of oral disease and its impact on the life quality of older (aged 60 and above) prisoners at Hong Kong SAR's elderly detention centre, China.

Design: A cross-sectional epidemiological survey involving clinical oral examinations and face-to-face interviews with 64 older prisoners at the centre. Clinical oral examinations were carried out following WHO criteria. The impact of oral health on life quality was assessed using the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile measure, OHIP-14.

Results: The prevalence of oral disease was high, the mean DMFT was 22.5 (SD 10.6) and 40% (18) of the dentate prisoners had shallow or deep periodontal pockets. Most (75%, 48) were in need of prosthetic treatment. Over half the prisoners experienced one or more oral health impacts on life quality during the previous year. This was associated with socio-demographic factors: employment status prior to incarceration (P < 0.01), oral health behaviour: smoking habits (P < 0.01) and clinical oral health status: DMFT (P < 0.05) and prosthetic need (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Among inmates at Hong Kong's elderly detention centre, the prevalence of oral disease was high and the impact of oral health on their life quality was substantial. The impact of oral health on the life quality of the older prisoners was associated with prisoners socio-demographic background, oral health behaviour and oral health status.