Brusha brusha brusha

Finally, someone is taking notice of the fact that dental health care is as important as regular health care. Six months ago, the death of a 12 year old boy due to untreated dental decay, prompted government officials to analyze Medicaid's dental coverage for poor kids. Apparently, two-thirds of Medicaid kids do not receive any dental care whatsoever. ( Washington Post).

 

I have been a proponent of reviewing the dental healthcare process for a while now. I know plenty of people who make enough money to afford dental insurance who still can't afford to go to the dentist. In addition to being an unpleasant experience, the fact that it is easy to pay more for a visit to the dentist than one pays in rent explains why people simply avoid the dentist for years.

 

Legislation should be passed to make dental treatment more affordable in order to maintain general health. There are many health issues caused by poor dental health.

 

·        Premature or low birth weight babies

·        Heart disease. If you have any sort of inflammation in your mouth, brushing your teeth can send bacteria into your bloodstream. ( WebMD)

·        Men with a history of gum disease have 64% higher risk of pancreatic cancer. ( Post-Gazette)

·        Gum disease makes it more difficult for diabetics to control their blood sugar levels. ( Dr. Weil)

 

There is no reason why dental care costs so much. Obviously, they can continue to charge an arm and a leg for cosmetic dentistry, but cleanings and preventative care should be free. In fact, cleanings should be three times a year instead of twice. No one wants to need a crown and no one I know can easily afford one anyway. Why not nip that issue in the bud by not allowing people's teeth issues to get that far in the first place?