Giving Compass' Take:

• The Marshall Project explores an often-overlooked issues for formerly incarcerated people trying to start new lives: Severe dental problems, made worse by poor care in prison, may be an aesthetic obstacle to getting a job.

• Policymakers involved in criminal justice reform should look into addressing the issue of subpar medical care for inmates, but in the meantime, many low-cost clinics are helping former prisoners get their confidence back through quality dental work — and nonprofits can find ways to support them.

• Here's more info on finding innovative healthcare solutions for former inmates.

Kara Burns walked out of federal prison in 2013 with little more than a bus ticket and a few hundred dollars she’d managed to save inside. She needed to start job-hunting, but like many formerly incarcerated people, she had a problem that made rebuilding her life even more stressful: Bad teeth.

Burns’ dental problems started long before her incarceration. For years, she used methamphetamine, which is known to cause devastating tooth damage and gum disease. While in prison for two and a half years on a drug charge, she saw a dentist twice, she said. By the time she was released, she was missing multiple teeth and had several other decaying ones covered by sterling silver crowns.

“I have all these barriers—barrier after barrier after barrier—a criminal history, my home address is a halfway house, and I don’t have any money to buy clothing so that I can present myself professionally. And then also my teeth are rotting,” said Burns, 40, who lives in Denver.

It’s not uncommon in America — whether you’ve been incarcerated or not — to lack access to a dentist. In 2016, 74 million Americans had no dental coverage, according to the National Association of Dental Plans. But poor oral health is a particularly nagging problem for many formerly incarcerated people, experts say. For recently released inmates already carrying the social burden of a criminal record, dental problems can exacerbate the daunting challenges involved with returning home, such as finding employment and housing.

Read the full article about dental problems for former inmates by Taylor Elizabeth Eldridge at The Marshall Project.