Dundee University study: How improving oral health habits is getting to the root cause of dental decay at Perth Prison

Ahead of a Dundee University talk, Michael Alexander discovers how improving oral health habits is helping to rehabilitate prisoners at Perth.

Tackling the causes of the causes of health inequalities associated with social deprivation in Scotland is the key to solving some of the country’s most pressing public health problems.

That is the view of Professor Ruth Freeman from Dundee University’s School of Dentistry who said a health coaching initiative developed in Tayside has led to a significant shift in the behaviour and wellbeing of prisoners at Perth Prison.

The team from the university’s Dental Health Services Research Unit (DHSRU) within the School of Dentistry, developed the People in Prison, Health Coaching for Scotland (PeP-SCOT) programme to provide health coaching training for inmates.

An early cohort of Perth Prison participants

The peer health coaching initiative was delivered in collaboration with NHS Tayside, the Scottish Prison Service and the charity Positive Prison? Positive Futures (PPPF).

In an interview with The Courier ahead of a Café Science Dundee talk she is giving on Monday January 21, Professor Freeman said that prison officers had noted positive changes in the behaviour of those who took part in the programme, such as quitting smoking and other health improvements.

They also noted more reflective behaviour displayed by the participants following the coaching.

However, the general poor dental health of many prisoners tends to reflect deep rooted socio-economic factors related to their backgrounds – and with the greatest consumption of sugar per head of population in deprived areas, these can often be the most difficult people to reach.