Introducing oral health screening within an inpatient forensic intellectual disability service

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the oral health of inpatients within inpatient intellectual disability forensic settings. Individuals with intellectual disabilities may encounter substantial oral health barriers such as cognitive, psychological, physical and sensory challenges, exacerbated by limited access to information, tools and services. There are likely to be additional barriers within forensic settings, yet no research has investigated the oral health of inpatients within inpatient forensic settings. Design/methodology/approach An audit of oral health was conducted in a medium-secure intellectual disability and forensic service. Over four time points, the Mouthcare Matters Toolkit was used to assess the condition of the tongue, lips, teeth, cheeks, palate and floor of mouth. Eighteen patients underwent baseline assessment and were offered individual and group interventions between audit cycles. Findings The oral health screening process was feasible to deliver clinically, and acceptable to patients. Oral and dental health fluctuated over the course of the audit, likely associated with uncontrolled clinical and treatment variables. Improved dental health was observed following ward-based education sessions. Originality/value Targeted oral screening and associated educational interventions may improve the oral health of inpatients with intellectual disabilities. Recommendations for future practice include routine oral health screening, staff training, accessible educational resources and bespoke consultations.