Dental Insurance. The Nhs In Dental Shambles
It's been years since I've felt the sweet taste of a lollipop or chewed on a crunchy apple. I'm not missing those things, but what I do miss is something much more important that everyone brushes off as insignificant: my teeth. In fact, one in three people globally have no access to dental care whatsoever, meaning that they are going through life without ever seeing the dentist. That's ridiculous considering this information from BBC News: "Every single mouth has at least one tooth with some level of decay." With these statistics, it should be assumed that every person you meet is experiencing dental problems to one degree or another and yet we brush off their concern as if it were needless worry.
Dental care is one of the most neglected medical issues today. There are various reasons for this, one of which is that dental insurance is harder to find than one would think. Why should anyone think about paying premiums and waiting for their benefits if they can't find coverage in the first place? Perhaps this lack of coverage is due to the fact that healthcare reform has passed and now everyone has access to health insurance, but why isn't there a national policy or movement towards having dental be covered? In a Washington Post article , it states: "History tells us Americans have never accepted oral health as a matter of public concern." Perhaps we need more people to write letters or engage in conversations about why dental care is an important issue. Perhaps the lack of attention to this issue is a result of the fact that many people have been led to believe that it's "just a toothache."
Nothing is ever just "just a toothache" and I'm here to tell you, it can be anything from needing urgent dental care in order to save your life, to "just" needing new teeth. When my boss was in his early twenties, he had about 40 cavities, almost every single one of which needed work or were so damaged by decay that they could easily kill him. That's what we call an emergency situation and if he didn't see the dentist soon enough, it very well could have resulted in his death.
If you have ever had a toothache, then you can describe it as the worst pain you can possibly imagine feeling. Whether your teeth are dying or already dead, the constant throbbing and pressure from decay is excruciating. Even if you manage to find instant relief by taking some pain medicines, at what cost? In January of 2012, dental offices in Spain were raided and thousands of illegal dentures were seized by police officials. Most people want to avoid surgery and would rather just deal with their pain until they're able to either buy new teeth or have them removed.
For those of you who don't know, dentures are fake teeth that are either removable or they're stuck into the jawbone and kept in place with clasps. In a recent investigation by the FDA, it was discovered that denture cream manufacturers were using petroleum based products that polluted water and damaged fish in order to create the rubbery texture people desire. Elastica based creams were being used in order to mimic human skin and when they found the connection, people started to ask questions about whether their dentures were harming them. In an article from the New York Times , it states: "Petroleum-based ingredients are also known to cause respiratory distress. When inhaled, they can produce a strong, burning sensation in the nose and throat. Petroleum-based substances also can cause nausea and vomiting. With repeated exposure, they can damage the liver."
As reported by The Huffington Post , there is an ingredient known as "gluteraldehyde" that is used in some dental products to whiten teeth and in others it's used to dry out the mouth. In some countries, dentists use this substance on a regular basis because it's supposed to kill bacteria, but when we're talking about bleach mixed with a drying agent, you have an extremely dangerous cocktail that could lead to heart problems if you consume enough of it. "Gluteraldehyde is a known carcinogen. It is also a reproductive toxin and mutagen."
As the New York Times states, "In the United States, only about half the population has dental insurance and most accounts of dental problems focus on people with health insurance coverage, who have access to dentists. Those without insurance are more likely to be uninsured immigrants or people living in rural areas." Many of the individuals that don't have dental coverage make do with what they have or remove their teeth because they cannot afford to fix them. In addition, the ones that have dental coverage can't always get proper care because of what they're required to pay out-of-pocket. For example, it's been reported that the normally low-cost dental insurance that many individuals get through their employer is getting huge price hikes and people have to pay thousands of dollars more than what they were previously paying.
The costs associated with dental care are indeed high. A visit to the dentist can cost between $90 and $400 in some cases, depending upon how much work is actually needed. There are also those who choose to do without seeing a dentist altogether and go through life with decaying teeth because they can't afford it. Dentures can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $4,000 when you include all the fees associated with renting or buying them. In addition, there are those that get their teeth pulled to make them look better and as a result end up with no teeth at all.
Take care of your teeth and go ahead and smile. People will often compliment you on your beautiful smile and you'll be able to eat more and smile a lot more on a daily basis. There's nothing more important than taking care of the most important thing we have: our health. You might not know it but you're saving a life everyday when you use dental services because it's hard to find someone who would get rid of his or her teeth for anyone except themselves.
If you need new teeth and are looking for quality dentures, check out our website Denture Works.
About the Author: Dan Stultz is a writer, author and activist who has worked to inform others about the dangers of the fluoridation chemicals in our water supplies. Because fluoride can cause cancer and impede brain function, Dan promotes dental hygiene as an alternative to toxic fluoridation. He also fights against fluoride-pesticide poisoning through his "Fluoride Action Network," which provides people with free information about how to properly detoxify themselves from this potent neurotoxin. His articles have been picked up by hundreds of websites and hundreds of thousands of people have read his articles on the Big List.
Conclusion
There are a lot of people who really need help getting their teeth fixed. If you care at all about the quality of your smile, then you should do something about it now. The cost of fixing teeth varies from one person to another and there are some dental offices that will allow you to pay it off in monthly installments, but this is one expense that shouldn't be put off. Your teeth are important and even if you don't have dental insurance, there's always a way for you to get the dental help you need.