Prisoners pull out their own teeth.
A report by the ABC includes this statement about the Risdon Prison in Tasmania:
Dental healthcare within the prison service was described in the report as “woefully inadequate” with even urgent and painful conditions not treated in a timely manner.
This raises the question of: how does this compare to civilians without convictions in free society?
Prisoners normally receive free emergency dental treatment in Australia.
The general public do NOT receive free dental treatment. healthdirect.gov.au
Adults in the general public would need a Health Care Card or Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card to be eligible for free dental treatment, provided by State governments.
Each state and territory offer different free dental services to the general public.
Waiting times to see a public dentist are often between 12 and 24 months or even more.
Emergency treatment, outside prisons, often depends on the capacity of the local dental hospitals, and may be carried out by trainee dentists.
