Folsom’s Hardened Criminals Are Putty in Dentist’s Hands

Dennis Fairbourn does fillings and root canals for some of the state’s most violent criminals, and still has all his fingers intact.

Ironically, the Orangeville dentist says he took the job at Folsom Prison last year for the “quality of life” the job offers--despite the prison’s dangers and its dismal, concrete-walled atmosphere.

Fairbourn took the job in September with no background in dealing with criminals, let alone Folsom’s, who are among the most notorious in the state.

But Fairbourn said that while stabbings and even killings have become tragically routine at Folsom, inmates don’t cause trouble in the prison dental clinic.

“I think the guys look at dental care as a privilege and if they create an incident it could jeopardize access,” he said. “I’ll lose a finger fixing a fence post in my yard before I lose one here.

“At first, it was intimidating to me to come into a prison, deal with these kinds of patients, but it’s turned out not to be a problem at all. With very few exceptions, they are good patients.”

Fairbourn, 41, said he enjoys the job for the same reason he liked being an Air Force dentist for 10 years.

“It affords me time to be with my family,” he said of his wife and five children. “Here, there are no hassles with managing a dental practice.”

Although the pay doesn’t compare with what he could be making in private practice, he said, “Pay is not my biggest concern; it’s quality of life.”

Fairbourn is one of four dentists who work in “Old Folsom,” which houses 3,000 inmates. Three other dentists work in the new part of the prison, which eventually will accommodate another 3,000. All have inmate assistants.

Folsom expects to spend nearly $950,000 during the current fiscal year on dental salaries and materials, according to prison spokesman Lt. Mike Yarborough.

Although he was afraid at first to talk with prisoners, Fairbourn now is able to joke with his patients.

Fairbourn recalls that one inmate grabbed onto a piece of metal attached to the dental chair and suggested it would make a good knife blade.

“I told him, ‘If it’s gone, you’re gone.’ ”