America's Dental Care Crisis

[handmade34]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/health-science-technology/dollars-and-dentists/americas-dental-care-crisis/

[Lionessa]

1. Where's Vid?

GEEZ, I hate OPs without any relative information, just a link. Where's that unrec click we used to have.

[handmade34]

2. ...

can't link directly since it is trailer of upcoming program

"More than 100 million Americans don’t go to the dentist because they can’t afford it. Instead, they end up broke, in severe pain and struggling to get by. Sometimes they even die.

Our next film, Dollars and Dentists, a joint investigation by FRONTLINE and the Center for Public Integrity, examines the nation’s ruptured dental-care system, and some solutions to fix it. It airs Tuesday, June 26, and you can watch a preview of the film above.

New research released today from the Kaiser Family Foundation highlights just how dire our dental-care system has become. One in four children have untreated tooth decay, now the most common chronic illness among school-aged children. Adults fare no better. And one in four Medicare beneficiaries are missing all of their natural teeth — a problem that threatens not only among the elderly, but also the very poor. Low-income families and racial and ethnic minorities tend to be disproportionately affected because they tend to lack access to care, according to Kaiser..."

[1monster]

3. I can relate. Twenty years ago, a root canal and crown cost me about $500. I had

no insurance but got my teeth repaired regularly and paid cash over a couple of months.

Today, a root canal runs around $900 plus and a crown starts at $750. At $1,650 a tooth, dental health is way out of many people's reach.

I've had dental insurance, for which I pay a bit over $100 per month, for about 10 years now, but cannot afford to get my families teeth fixed. The insurance does not pay the 80/20 for fillings/root canals/et als that it advertises. It pays 80% of what it wants to pay. The dentist often will say, "We don't take THAT insurance. You need to pay up front."

I have a little money from tax refunds this year, and I planned to have my son's teeth done (he, for whatever reason has always had very weak teeth. I was told he needed to have ALL of his teeth crowned). In the meantime, my husband broke a tooth that has been worked on several times in the past. A visit to the dentist we went to years ago (before he moved away for several years) told him that he needs at least $8,000 work done on his mouth and, no, the dentist does not take our insurance.

DH will have the most pressing two items taken care of, and I will spend the rest of the money on my son's mouth. (I just had another tooth abscess two days ago, but, as usual, it will be antibiotics for me until the infection clears up. No dental work affordable for me for another year and a quarter.) I'm looking at around $20,000 for my son's teeth. The insurance should pay half of that, but probably will only pay somewhere between $5,000 and $7,000 over several years as their maximum pay out is limited to $2,000 per year.

If, the dental work done was permanent, it would be money well spent. However, both my husband and I have root canaled/crowned teeth that have gone bad over the years. Dental work only seems to last about 10 to 14 years before needing done again...

[grasswire]

4. That was one good thing about Hillary Clinton

universal dental care was a priority. She cared about lack of access to dental health.

[stopbush]

5. Dental insurance is often a waste of money.

Little is fully covered beyond a twice-a-year cleaning, everything else has a co-pay and most benefits max out at $1500 a year per person.

I say this as a dad who just got done paying for braces for two kids at $3500 a pop WITH insurance. In years where there's little work to be done beyond normal cleanings, we lose money.

BTW - I just had my teeth cleaned a few weeks ago. My dentist told me that the ADA is now recommending cleaning be done every 4 months, not every three months. She said it will take a long time for insurance companies to agree to that. I actually get my teeth cleaned every 3 months as I meet a lot of people in my profession and have to speak in public on occasion. I end up paying out of pocket for the extra cleanings.

Why dental care isn't included in normal health care coverage is one of the great mysteries.

[Control-Z]

6. Great mystery?

No. No mystery. Dentists make a fortune and can tell you what ever they want about what you need done - even if it's not true. They can charge you whatever they want. And they protect each other so second opinions mean nothing.

Veterinarians charge whatever they want as well. Want to make money? Become a dentist or a vet.

[castillonewsom]

7. Best way to get dental treatment

I have read above given information abut dental patients and it is true that more than 100 million Americans do not go to the dentist because they can not afford the charges. I would like to know that many dentist clinic available who providing best treatment with minimum charges and every one can afford it.