Recently, we’ve worked with our local dentistry school to help improve access to dental care for people affected by the justice system.
Poverty is often the root cause for being at court
We are deeply concerned by the poverty we see in the courts across Devon and Cornwall. Hardship is often the root cause of people appearing in court and seeking our help. On top of this, it affects physical health, including dental health.
A growing problem in the UK
Dental health is a significant issue for people in prison and those leaving prison. Unfortunately, their experiences rarely inform how dental services are designed. As a result, services often fail to address the real challenges people face in maintaining oral health.
Recent work at the University of Plymouth
Many of our clients face financial hardship. Eventually, this impacts their understanding of oral hygiene and their ability to access dental care both in and out of prison. We recently collaborated with Dr Joelle Booth from the University of Plymouth, whose project highlights the urgent need for systemic change. Dr Joelle Booth picks up here:
Involving people with lived experience
The project engaged people with lived experience of prison to develop simple, practical questionnaires to understand dental health during and after prison. Those involved helped shape the questions, the language used, and the delivery method—ensuring the approach was accessible and relevant.
Local charities, including Improving Lives, Gifted Women, The Harbour Centre, and Plymouth Soup Run, enabled our team to connect with people navigating the justice system.
Patrick Cunningham, Peer Researcher at Improving Lives, who works with our team at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court, says:
More funding and more dentists are needed to address this problem.
Why we need to improve access to dental care
People affected by the justice system are often excluded from decisions about dental services. On top of this, traditional surveys fail to capture critical issues, such as cancelled appointments, difficulties accessing care after release, and the impact of poor dental health on confidence and employment. In the long run, we can design better services by involving the people affected by the issues.
How support can be improved
This is how support can be improved: survey participants reported feeling more comfortable when questionnaires were delivered by peers. It’s important that – individuals with first-hand experience of the justice system. To conclude, peer-led approaches built trust, reduced anxiety, encouraged honest conversations, and created space to discuss broader health issues, such as smoking and accessing support services.
Looking ahead
The Peninsula Medical School at the University of Plymouth hopes this project will drive fairer, more inclusive dental services. Ultimately, by valuing lived experience and adopting peer-led approaches, dental care can better support people during and after prison, reducing oral health inequalities and helping individuals rebuild their lives.
Improving access to dental care: advocate for better services
To summarise, dental health must be a clear priority in prisons and after release. Finally, improving access to dental care is vital. We need to advocate for better services. For further information, a full summary of the research is available here.
This is a guest blog by Joelle Booth is an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow and Specialty Trainee in Dental Public Health at the University of Plymouth Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.
Take Action
Do you work in prisons or with people after release? Use the peer-led survey to gather evidence and drive change. Contact joelle.booth@plymouth.ac.uk to get started.