Dental Care Handcuffed: The Effect of Incarceration History on Dental Examinations among U.S. Middle-Aged Adults

Oral health disparities in the United States remain persistent yet understudied. Research has documented the disproportionate incarceration of people of lower-income and minority backgrounds, and similar patterns in access to dental care. I explore the research question: “How does incarceration history shape access to dental examinations among U.S. middle-aged adults, and how do racial and socioeconomic disparities further affect this relationship?”  I use quantitative secondary data from Wave VI of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a nationally representative survey of 11,979 respondents aged 39–51 from 2022–2025. Logistic regression models test the association between incarceration history and dental examinations, first with demographic covariates, then including socioeconomic controls for education and income.  I find that incarceration history is strongly associated with reduced access to dental examinations. Individuals with an incarceration history have ~36% lower odds of having a dental examination, even after adjusting for race, education, and income. This suggests that incarceration works as an independent structural barrier to oral healthcare beyond socioeconomic disadvantages. Dental Examination is the entry to dental care, meaning these results underestimate the deeper inequities, and further research is necessary to address them. Policy interventions that combat structural inequities in dental care access are necessary to work toward equitable oral healthcare for all people.