I have been in FCI Sheridan since 2019, with severe dental problems. I have been on the denture list for almost six years. When I first got here, my lower teeth were a mess, but my upper teeth were all good; just partial was needed. But now all my teeth have ground down to nubs at the gum line. It’s very painful to eat. I am in mental distress over this failure to give me proper care. What will my future be? The dentist doesn’t have an assistant, and told me that I would need about a seven-month procedure to fix my mouth: full dentures and surgery. He recommended that I hold on until I get out in three and a half years for the care that he cannot provide. But I’ve lost 40% of the bone mass in my jaw, which will inhibit future dental procedures and what I need to enjoy normal living standards. They aren’t even offering me a soft diet! I’m scared to file anything because staff here seek retribution for bringing attention to the institutional failure to provide minimum basic health care.
Making everything worse is that the food is all carbs. The commissary is terrible; there’s almost no healthy options. Medically, they order all the tests, then deny the procedures and medications needed to fix the problems!