PBS NewsHour: Millions of Americans Face Life Without Dental Care

[alp227]

Run time: 05:59 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0cFbeKr-cc   Posted on YouTube: November 16, 2011 By YouTube Member: PBSNewsHour Views on YouTube: 220   Posted on DU: November 16, 2011 By DU Member: alp227 Views on DU: 2456

 
The lack of access to dental care is a problem that affects millions of Americans. Health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser reports.

[Newest Reality]

1. Like waiting over a month

for an extraction and being in excruciating pain with no strong pain medication, (they won't prescribe them at local clinics).

I have three teeth with cracks/holes and it takes months to get an appointment at the free clinic for that.

As an aside, abscesses can affect your health and, in some cases the infection can lead to death. Your mouth is as much a part of your health as is the rest of your body. Oddly, we have the medical and dental separation for care, (which affects many, insurance-wise) when they are related when it comes to health.

[RKP5637]

3. I've always been amazed how dental care is treated as a luxury item in this country. It's

always been a WTF for me.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Seriously. Why are our mouths and eyes not considered parts of our bodies??

[RKP5637]

7. Good point, I forgot about eyes. That's always a special deal too, like good

eye care is a luxury item. It's all soooo outrageous, and what really is galling is Americans that think it's all just fine. Citizens in this country are soooo used and disadvantaged, it's appalling.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Yes! It really chaps my hide that so many of our people think that

this is the way things ought to be! :banghead:

[RKP5637]

10. Much as I was told by a republican recently, well, you might leave the

country for someplace you think is better to live, but you will come back because this is best. I am serious! And I just paled for words, they think everything is really OK. They just need the right R nominee to fix things up.

Then another one told me, what this country needs is another Ronald Reagan, and not to be topped by another one that thinks a theocracy would fix the country.
:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. This is why I don't talk to rightwingers. My blood pressure can't take it and I can't afford

the treatment if I stroke out!

[RKP5637]

17. Yeah, I'm getting the same, you just can't talk to them with rational discussions. Then,

if you listen to hem, you bottle up the frustration and that's not good at all for BP.

[pnwmom]

I was just thinking about that yesterday, as I wrote the check

Run time: 05:59 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0cFbeKr-cc   Posted on YouTube: November 16, 2011 By YouTube Member: PBSNewsHour Views on YouTube: 220   Posted on DU: November 16, 2011 By DU Member: pnwmom Views on DU: 2456

 
$800 -- for my half of a root canal.

As unpleasant as the procedure was, at least I could afford to save the tooth. So sorry about your situation!

[ErikJ]

15. Dental Tip: Use anti-cavity fluoride rinse daily

It really works

[pnwmom]

16. Thanks. I'll try that! n/t

[The Wizard]

2. Universal health care with dental (NT)

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Plus a google! (Eye care too!)

[intheflow]

6. Duh.

Christ, what passes for news these days is a fucking reality for millions of us, and has been for fucking decades.

[CoffeeCat]

8. We just signed up for health insurance...

My husband was recently laid off, so we had to pay for a health-insurance plan.

$600 a month, with no dental.

When we heard the stipulations on the dental plans--we were shocked. The most expensive plan would pay
for HALF of all cavities, root canals, extractions and other similar work. However, every single
policy (and this was across the board in many companies. we did our research) had a 6-month wait period
from THE DATE THE POLICY BEGAN.

So, if you were uninsured and needed dental care--and you wanted to buy a policy--most policies require
that you wait six months before you have any cavities filled or other dental work done.

Isn't that just grand?

And don't get me started about paying $600 a month for a substandard healthcare plan (with $50 co pays on Dr. visits
and $50 co-pays on Rx's) when you are unemployed and watching every penny!) There's even a $10,000 deductible
on hospitalizations.

I'm just loving all of that healthcare reform that this country enjoys!

[pnwmom]

13. There should be more options when the healthcare plan actually takes effect.

It hasn't yet, not for most people. But it has helped millions of young people stay on their parents policies, and it has prevented insurers from dropping people who become sick.

You're right that dental care is a big problem. Even with our insurance, which is a good policy through a major corporation, the dental is the same as yours -- only 50% of "usual and customary" for restorative work.

[dotymed]

11. The health of the 99% is definitely ignored.

Remember when Americans always joked about the dental care in Britain? Now look at ours... GREED.

[chervilant]

12. So...

I guess my one broken bicuspid, and my molar with the missing filling, puts me in the same boat as nearly half of all Americans. I'm in good company, apparently.

Up until I became chronically unemployed, I regularly saw my dentist. I have not seen a dentist in better than four years.

BTW, if my molar becomes infected, I do expect excruciating pain, followed by a rather rapid death. The Republicans should be ecstatic.

[ErikJ]

18. Anti-cavity fluoride rinse

Like "Act" really seems to work for me anyway.