Oral Health Care Access and Utilization Among Formerly Incarcerated Individuals: A Social Determinants of Health Scoping Review

Many individuals enter correctional facilities with untreated oral health needs, and their conditions often worsen after release due to a lack of ongoing preventive and comprehensive dental services at some facilities. Given the heightened vulnerability of this population and the broader public health implications, there is a pressing need to understand the current state of oral health service utilization and interventions that support formerly incarcerated individuals. This scoping review aims to map the existing literature on access to oral healthcare, service use, and intervention models for formerly incarcerated individuals. The review adapted the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The systematic search yielded 515 studies, of which 18 met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. The most frequently reported oral health outcomes included self-reported oral health status, periodontal disease, dental caries, and tooth loss. Across studies, the most commonly addressed social determinants of health were economic stability, healthcare access, and quality. While the studies varied in design, a consistent pattern emerged across the literature linking incarceration history to poorer oral health outcomes and reduced access to dental care. Taken together, these findings underscore significant gaps in continuity of care and highlight structural barriers to oral health for formerly incarcerated individuals, pointing to the need for more comprehensive, multi-level interventions.