Bad Teeth, Bad People: Another Way Privileged Amrerica Shames The Poor

[KamaAina]

http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/economics/bad-teeth-bad-people-another-way-privileged-america-shames-poor/

Welcome to the new class divide: good dentistry, or the lack thereof. Newsweek reports a U.K. study of 6,000 people across all ages and regions finds the starkest, most dramatically visual difference between rich people and poor people is… eight teeth.

Oh, you’re thinking. That’s in the U.K. where everyone’s teeth are horrible, even John Oliver’s. So what’s the big deal?

But it’s a problem in this country, too. Those Brits’ teeth may not look creepily white, straight, and gleaming, but at least their health care system ensures that dental problems don’t get too severe and impact people’s overall health.

Here in America, when your missing teeth and other dental problems become visible, you’re screwed. Back in the 20th century, comfortably affording a single-family home with two cars in the garage was the litmus test for whether or not you had made it into (or stayed in) the middle class. Nowadays, those things are barely — if at all — within reach for many of us, but we can still keep up appearances as long as we’ve got decent-looking teeth.

[Vinca]

1. In defense of John Oliver, his teeth are not "horrible," they're normal.

While I certainly think everyone should have affordable access to both medical and dental care, it really isn't necessary for everyone to have perfect, refrigerator-white teeth. Half the time cosmetic dentistry turns a perfectly good smile into something that resembles new dentures.

[arcane1]

2. Indeed, I've seen people with teeth so white they look fake and are distracting.

[KT2000]

3. Koch brothers

they look like an ad for a denture clinic.

[Stargazer99]

4. I can testify to the validity of this post on teeth

We've always worked but never had enough income to pay for dental work
I was never informed by the State of Washington that my children could receive dental care (an adult child has died already from lack of simple medical care) One grandchild was told by a dentist that his teeth were so bad there was no point in taking care of them. He now faces life with serious dental problems, working of course, but no medical or dental benefits.
I was thinking this morning what a nasty, cruel nation I live in...if you don't have money for care you don't even register as a human worth taking care of. Needless to say after letting my adult (working) daughter die from a perfectly fixable medical problem and the agony my grandchild goes throug when his teeth act up....I hate this country, it is cruel...don't give me this crap about "your lazy and not working" because we probably work longer hours with less pay than many of you. I wished I could have lived in a civilized country like Denmark, Norway, Germany....what a nasty way to treat a human being....anger?I would have to be insane not to feel the frustration and anger.

[woo me with science]

5. Remember this horrifying post.

“They pull thousands of teeth here. At the end, they’ll have buckets of teeth...”
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025277717

There is no excuse for this in the United States of America. None.

No more corporate sellouts, Republicans or Democrats. No more corporate shills. No more Third Way vultures in Democrat suits. They are traitors. They are selling out our democracy to craven greed and destroying this nation.

Bernie Sanders 2016

[hunter]

8. Here's another DU horror...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014941914#post3

[woo me with science]

6. kick

[Texasgal]

7. I agree.

Affordable dental care in the US is awful. Not only does losing teeth become an issue cosmetically the health issues regarding dental health is downright scary!

Dental health should be treated as routine health care. It's horrible!