Affordable Dental Care Unavailable To One-Third Of Americans: Report

[deminks]

That's right, over 100 million Americans cannot afford dental care.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/26/afford-dental-care_n_1628217.html

One in three Americans can't afford to see the dentist.

More than 100 million Americans do not go to the dentist for checkups and cleanings because of the cost, according to PBS FRONTLINE and the Center for Public Integrity. As a result, many go broke trying to afford dental care or suffer from extreme pain. Some die.

The next generation of Americans already is suffering. Nearly 5 million American children, or one in 16, did not get regular dental checkups in 2008 because their families could not afford it, according to an Institute of Medicine report released last year.

Some corporate dental firms are profiting from Americans that cannot afford dental care, according to an investigative article by the Center for Public Integrity and FRONTLINE published on Tuesday. These firms are dentistry's version of payday lenders, targeting low-income consumers that are ignored by mainstream dentists and charging excessive rates. One of these companies, Aspen Dental, which is owned by a private equity firm, gave 87-year-old Theresa Ferritto a credit card to pay thousands of dollars she owed after getting two teeth pulled, according to CPI.

Going without dental care can ruin lives. Louis Morris, 33, of Philadelphia, found out on Saturday while seeing a dentist for the first time in 15 years at a volunteer clinic that his gum infection had worn away at his jawbone, could spread to other parts of his body and wipe out all of his teeth, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Morris already had lost several of his teeth.

(end snip)

[nc4bo]

1. Free dental clinic in Fayetteville, NC on June 29th, 2012 - June 30th, 2012

http://www.freedental.org/freeclinic/69

Missions of Mercy Free Dental Clinic June 29 - 30 Crown Expo Center

June 29th, 2012 - June 30th, 2012
1960 Coliseum Drive
Fayettville, NC - 28306
http://www.ncdental.org

Free Dental Clinic on: Friday 6 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday 6 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the Crown Expo Center in Fayettville, NC.

NCMOM dental services are provided to adults with income less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level Guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and D.C.

The clinic is being held in conjunction with The CARE Clinic, Operation Inasmuch and Better Health of Cumberland County. Organizers of the clinic are hoping to treat around 1,000 adults.

Sorry deminks to spam your most timely post but figured this would be a good place to tell people.

[deminks]

2. No problem. I am so glad there are alternatives out there in some places.

Dental care should be part of health care and available to all.

[nc4bo]

6. Yes and it should!

Sad that our dollars can pay for all the war and death the 1%ers can handle but we can't manage to take care of the health needs of our own people.

Some would think that is just mindbogglingly asinine and that we could, very possibly, be perceived as hypocrites outside our borders.

[russspeakeasy]

3. Good for them.

[nc4bo]

7. Yes, extremely so.

They expect to treat about 1000 but I'm sure there will be many left untreated.

[coalition_unwilling]

4. USA! USA! USA! :sarcasm: - n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

8. Hey there now, we're the envy of the World....don't ya know that?

[ProgressiveEconomist]

5. PBS is televising a "Frontline" documentary on this tonight

[Systematic Chaos]

9. If I may indulge in a personal story...?

Even though I've been blogging my weight loss on another forum as well as here; and I've whined, bitched, moaned and complained at length about what it's like trying to drop a shit ton of weight without access to any medical help, there is this whole dental thing which I've never discussed.

Long story short, one of my back molars -- the last one back there before the wisdom tooth on the top right -- started literally crumbling apart about 3 years ago. At first it was tiny little pieces and over time they got larger and the remaining stump of tooth had rotted to the point where you could literally bend it back and forth. I mean, the actual structure of the tooth had become flexible, like tough licorice or something. The toothaches which accompanied this had me using so much Ora-Gel and oil of cloves that within a couple of weeks it was like my entire tongue was being singed away. It became impossible for me to eat anything even remotely spicy, and that's coming from someone who loves red pepper flakes on his pasta, tons of jalapenos in his chili and on his veggie dogs, and so forth.

Three or four years later, and you can feel a couple little tiny shards of tooth still poking out back there, but I consider myself very lucky in that all the pain is gone, unless I try eating or drinking something very cold. I can once again enjoy spicy foods within reason, so that's nice.

On the other hand, I'm sure this was just the first problem of many I'll be in for as I get older, and like the already copious amounts of loose skin I'm dealing with from my weight loss, I'll just have to join my tens of millions of other 'fortunate Amercians' in picking myself up by those wonderful, mythical bootstraps.

But I understand. All these wars and resource grabs and bailouts for the rich are much more important than my health, comfort or survival despite how much I've already accomplished with only one person backing me up and helping me or any of the other tens of millions who share my plight.

[bhikkhu]

16. Regarding pain, bad teeth, and poverty -

In the last four years I had two bad problems with a broken molar that kept getting infected, and with two wisdom teeth that were heading the same way. Nothing ruins your day like a toothache, and one that keeps you from sleeping can send a person into addictions and depression...the first molar problem I had dragged on for 2 months of pain. Nowhere near the money for a crown and no other solutions - I finally had it yanked, for $75.

The recovery was quick and I never missed the tooth, and I wondered why in the world I didn't have that done to begin with. The next problem was with a wisdom tooth, so the decision was easy - at the first sign of trouble I had both yanked on one side, for $130. Not that losing teeth is great, but it does work.

Currently I have another bad molar, but this one I have some money put away for a $1000 crown. Which I don't want to spend on a stupid tooth, but it is a useful one, and I have a choice this time.

[BadgerKid]

10. And Medicaid for routine dental work for adults

is going away in a couple of weeks.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

11. Stunning revelation about private-equity-backed dental corporations grabbing cash from taxpayers

State regulatory boards generally have the power to lift the licenses of individual dentists, but no power to regulate such corporate dental practices as monthly bonuses for high volumes of unnecessary procedures that pay the highest Medicaid reimbrsements (Connecticut seems to be an exception to the pattern).

This regulation gap tied to taxpayer-funded benefits seems to be earning millions of dollars for private equity, just like the vulnerability of defined-benefit pension funds that made Mitt Romney the model for Gordon Gekko. Just grab the cash and dump the liabilities on taxpayers through the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation or through Medicaid.

[deminks]

12. kick for the morning light.

[Bluenorthwest]

13. from the American Dental Association....

The average net income for an independent private practitioner who owned all or part of his or her practice in 2009 was $192,680 for a general practitioner and $305,820 for a specialist.
http://www.ada.org/1444.aspx#billings

[lovuian]

14. the profits made are staggering

people should have a right to dental and medical benefits

America is such a barbaric country

[laundry_queen]

18. Even here in Canada

they don't cover dental (except for ER visits and antibiotics at that visit for abscesses). It has been a huge hardship for me, as a single mom. My kids all had horrible decay as toddlers (genetic) and out of pocket it cost me and my ex over $4000. And now, just maintaining the integrity of their teeth is at least $400/yr - and that's WITH additional dental insurance coverage at 90%. I have my own insurance through my university and I still just spent $250 on x-rays, a check up and cleaning. No cavities or anything, but $250 WITH insurance! What a fucking rip off! I don't know what really poor people do! I'm struggling, but between my ex and I and insurance we are able to cover the kids' stuff. But barely. I know for really low income (which I will qualify for this year) they have coverage for kids in my province, but nothing for adults. If I wasn't going to school I'd be screwed.

[dembotoz]

15. actually surprised it is that low

have not had dental work in years

have been to the doctor for blood pressure etc
but not the dentist.

[NNN0LHI]

17. The unionized cashiers at the local grocery store chains used to have dental insurance

So did the union stock boys.