ODONTOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS FOR DELINQUENTS

• NCJ Number: 64018
• Journal: CRIMINOLOGIA Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Dated: (1978) Pages: 25-48
• Author(s): M I G MORENO
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 21 pages
• Corporate Author: Social
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Country: Mexico

Annotation

THE ORAL HYGIENE HABITS AND DENTAL PROBLEMS OF A SAMPLE GROUP OF MALE AND FEMALE INMATES OF A MEXICAN STATE PENITENTIARY WERE STUDIED AND TABULATED FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND CURATIVE PURPOSES AND FOR PERSONALITY PROFILES.

Abstract

A TOTAL OF 180 MALE AND 20 FEMALE INMATES WERE GIVEN A THOROUGH DENTAL EXAMINATION TO DETERMINE THEIR ORAL HYGIENE HABITS AND THEIR DENTAL PROBLEMS. THE STUDY WAS TO ESTABLISH PRIORITIES IN TREATING THE MOST FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED AILMENTS AND MALFORMATIONS. UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS WERE THAT THESE PRISON INMATES, MOST OF WHOM WERE ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND CULTURALLY HANDICAPPED AND POORLY EDUCATED, WOULD BE DEFICIENT IN ORAL HYGIENE, AND THAT SOME RELATIONSHIP WOULD BE DISCOVERED BETWEEN DENTAL PROBLEMS AND MALFORMATIONS AND CRIMINALITY. OTHER ASSUMPTIONS PROJECTED PERCENTAGES OF DENTAL PROBLEMS AMONG CERTAIN OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS KNOWN FOR NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES, SUCH AS FARM WORKERS, AND PERCENTAGES OF INMATES WHO HAD RECEIVED SOME FORM OF DENTAL TREATMENT PRIOR TO INCARCERATION. THE DATA WERE ENTERED ON ODONTOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATION FILE CARDS FOR EACH STUDY SUBJECT AND INCORPORATED INTO DENTAL CLINICAL HISTORY FILES, WHICH ALSO CONTAINED PERSONAL AND CRIMINOLOGICAL DATA ON THE PATIENT, A PERSONALIZED TREATMENT PLAN, THE PATIENT'S OWN STATED REASONS FOR SEEKING DENTAL TREATMENT WHETHER AESTHETIC REASONS, EATING PROBLEMS, PHYSICIAN'S ADVICE, ETC.), AND THE PATIENT'S VIEWS ON ORAL HYGIENE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY TEETH. RESULTS POINT TO THE GENERALLY DEFICIENT, OR NONEXISTENT, ORAL HYGIENE HABITS AND PREVIOUS DENTAL TREATMENT AMONG THE SUBJECTS EXAMINED AND TO A POSSIBLE CONNECTION BETWEEN ORAL AND DENTAL MALFORMATIONS AND CRIMINALITY. OF THE PATIENTS, 90 PERCENT HAD DENTAL PROBLEMS AND HAD NEVER RECEIVED ANY KIND OF DENTAL TREATMENT. AMONG THE MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS WERE THE NECESSITY OF SOME CRIMINOLOGY COURSES FOR DENTISTS ASSIGNED TO CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND OF AN INTENSIVE EDUCATIONAL EFFORT TO TEACH INMATES THE IMPORTANCE OF ORAL HYGIENE AND DENTAL CARE. APPENDIXES CONTAIN ALL DATA COLLECTED FOR EACH SUBJECT AND THE METHODOLOGY FOR TABULATING THE DATA. --IN SPANISH. (LGR)