County jail expands dental care for inmates with help from opioid-abatement funds and community clinic

County officials told committees on Sept. 9 that the jail has expanded dental services for inmates through a partnership with a community clinic and outside providers, with much of the funding coming from local opioid-abatement money. The jail representative said dental care previously was limited to emergency tooth extraction in many cases. Under the new arrangement, Brid(al) and the community clinic will see inmates for broader dental services “as long as they have funding to pay for that.” The official said opioid-abatement funds were used to pay for dental care related initially to the MRT (Medication Recovery Treatment) program and that a new grant opened services to the general jail population. Why it matters: Expanded dental services can affect inmate health, post-release stability and jail medical costs; using opioid-abatement funds for treatment and related services is consistent with some jurisdictions' approaches to addressing substance-use harms. Discussion vs. decision: Committee members received the report as information; no appropriation was made at the meeting. Staff described the program as ongoing and noted the jail would include the arrangement in future reports. What’s next: Officials said they hoped to continue the program and noted community providers’ participation is key to sustaining services.