Dentists in prisons
Started by DENTALPROBE900
My uncle worked in the main prison, as a dentist, here in Hawaii for a while, now he's at Pearl Harbor (civilian). If you've any specific questions, I could shoot them his way (he doesn't use SDN).
I did it part time for years and loved it.
HOWEVER it is not for everyone. If you have good surgical skills, don't mind doing lots of "sick call", and have good people skills with outlaying personalities and a good team player, you might like it too.
I did a rotation at a prison and it is a lot of big amalgams and extractions, but the inmates are very easy to work on and grateful for your service. Check with the local state prison there is usually a dental director that manages all of the prisons and this is the guy to talk to.
My dad worked in a prison for about a year (in Michigan) and he liked it. The only reason he quit is that it was a really long commute. From what I heard, the work wasn't very intense, the inmates were very grateful, and they gave my dad some really great benefits like full medical coverage from him and his family along with a good salary and vacation time.
I have heard that it's inadvisable for the following reason. Inmates are much more likely to file a complaint against you to the board.
The patient pool has a large concentration of drug abusers who have no scruples at using you to get drugs. For instance, the prisoner may try to blackmail you to write them a Rx for narcotics and if you don't they'll make up some story and file a complaint against you to the board. Since they have plenty of time on their hands, and it costs them nothing, they will lodge complaints all the time. Is it worth the risk to your license trying to prove to the board that their claims are false and just a manifestation of manipulation?
The patient pool has a large concentration of drug abusers who have no scruples at using you to get drugs. For instance, the prisoner may try to blackmail you to write them a Rx for narcotics and if you don't they'll make up some story and file a complaint against you to the board. Since they have plenty of time on their hands, and it costs them nothing, they will lodge complaints all the time. Is it worth the risk to your license trying to prove to the board that their claims are false and just a manifestation of manipulation?
I don't think prisoners sit in a room alone with the dentist.. I'm pretty sure there's cameras, guards, and at possibly voice recorders. So good luck with blackmail, this isn't prison break.
I have worked with various county, state, federal detention centers in my life time. I would say 99.99 % Inmates treated me very well. By the time they sit in that dental chair, they would be in so much pain already. They usually just beg me to take their tooth out. The key in my humble opinion is to talk to them, not to belittle them. I think myself as their healthcare provider not their judge, jury and executioner.
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