Working

Jane I. Lott, RDH, BS

Every Monday since 1991, Jane I. Lott, RDH, BS, has spent the morning at the Women's Correctional Facility in York, Neb. She's not there to visit an inmate, but so that the inmates can visit her. Lott is the resident dental hygienist for the correctional facility, and a welcome presence to a large number of incarcerated people, many of them suffering from ongoing oral health problems. Appointments with Lott are voluntary, so the month-long waiting list of inmates who want to see her is testimony to their appreciation for her work.

The oral health problems that Lott sees vary in both nature and severity. Some patients who had received oral health care treatment before their incarceration have relatively healthy mouths. Others exhibit the oral health effects of prolonged substance abuse. "Probably in the last seven years, I've seen an increase in the meth[amphetamine] users versus when I first started out there," said Lott.

Lott works with a staff dentist who completes the initial diagnosis of patient problems and devises a treatment plan. At this point, the dentist will usually refer the patient to Lott for implementation of the treatment, which can include gross debridement or simple prophylaxis. The dentist will also designate how often the patient should return to see Lott, which is usually once a year.

Due to strict facility guidelines and varying sentence length for the inmates, there are difficulties in establishing long-term relationships with patients, but Lott is satisfied when she recognizes an improvement in a patient's oral health during a follow-up visit. "There are some [inmates] that have been there since 1991. Either they're lifers or they're serving a long term," said Lott. "I have seen some [patients] on a regular basis on their regular recall, and they have healthy mouths now, and they want to keep them that way. It's very rewarding when I am able to see someone turn things around."

It was while working as a dental assistant for her husband, a staff dentist at a similar facility, that Lott was exposed to this type of environment. She used her experience to encourage others to volunteer their time in this type of facility, including students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center where she was a faculty member of the College of Dentistry from 1996 to 2002. "When I taught at the university, the students went into the male facility in Lincoln, and they were a little concerned about security," said Lott. "But after they came back to the college, they were so appreciative of having the opportunity because it's rewarding."

Eventually, Lott left her position at the university to begin working four days a week in her family's private practice. Because Lott's family includes several other oral health care professionals--her husband and daughter are dentists and her son-in-law is an endodontist--they understand and support her commitment to serve at the Women's Correctional Facility.

Lott, who holds an associate of applied science degree in dental hygiene from Central Community College in Hastings, Neb., completed her baccalaureate degree at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Dentistry in Lincoln, Neb., in 2000. She serves as a dental hygienist member of the Nebraska Board of Dentistry and is a dental hygiene licensure candidate examiner for the Central Regional Dental Testing Service.

Among her many commitments, Lott still relishes her role as the staff dental hygienist at the Women's Correctional Facility and hopes that other members of the dental hygiene profession will overcome any fears that might prevent them from offering their services in these types of environments in their communities.

"The first time was kind of a scary experience. I'd never been in a facility like that," said Lott. "When the gates close behind you and lock, it gets a little scary, but it's very safe. It's a rewarding field to go into. It's not threatening, and other [hygienists] shouldn't be scared of an inmate. They're just so appreciative of what they're getting," she said.

This edition of Working was prepared by Nicholas C. Olsen.