I am disgusted with this country and the dental profession

[Stargazer99]

Being part of the working poor, dental work has been beyond my monetary means.
When my grandson was receiving state aid he went to the dentist that would take state aid. His mother was told that his teeth were so misaligned that there was no use in continuing dental care. So she stopped getting him dental care. Now that he is a grown man he suffers from infected teeth. Being from a working poor family he had no chance for college to get a decent paying job he is forced to be employed by one of those low paying employers. You dentist say you can't help the poor who cannot pay you thousands of dollars to correct a lifetime of no care. My two girls had to get falsh teeth by 50 yrs of age. This is the reward for being the working poor. At least some on welfare get basic dental care if they are children. Adults only get teeth pulled, what a crappy "solution". Dental care is a basic need like medical care. This is a cruel nation that does so little for its own.What I should have done is learn to be a drug dealer...then I would have enough money. So much for being an honest hard working joke.
Oh, some of you idiots say well instead of spending money on a television spend it on the teeth. Well, for those of you have never had to suffer at the hands of this nation, a television is a lot more cheaper than dental work. Besides I never had a new television, it was always used or given to me.
Both of us worked and all we could do is make those that own the means of production, even wealther. Never could buy a house, a new car, medical insurance, etc. Low wages do not allow for basic human needs.
To the dental profession, you are a crass failure and with being cruel to the working poor. Those enitities that are established to help with dental care are useless unless you are fortunate enough to have generally good dental health. Cleanings. filings are needed but when it comes to saving a tooth the two thousand or more you charge might as well be a million to someone who earning ten dollars and hour. I'm sure you are mostly Republicans, who really could care less about another human being that doesn't have money. Am I angry? Gee, I wonder why.

[TexasTowelie]

1. The worst part is that the cycle continues.

It is difficult to obtain a good job without having good teeth and the rest of the Barbie doll (or Ken) looks.

[Maraya1969]

2. I don't know where you live but I am in FL and my friend who is on Medicaid is, or thinks she is,

going to be able to get dentures from them. It has been a real hardship on her just trying to wrangle through the system to get the right person and the right papers she needs and on and on but from what she has told me recently she has the right contact now and she thinks she will be able to get them within a month or two. Which is good because her teeth are rotting and causing all sorts of pain.

And I just realized how stupid that was to say because you are not a senior and not on disability so you don't have medicare or medicaid.

however there is one way that might work. Most "affordable" dental offices have information about companies like Care Credit which will lend you money for your dental work and you pay low payments and I think there interest is not bad. I think I remember one dentist who paid for the interest for me when I used it because she ended up making a bunch of money on me anyway. So maybe a dentist would do that for you.

Also when I am going to have work done I go to dentalplans.com and sign up for a plan, (for about $100) and the dentists that use them really cut their prices down a lot. It is a good deal.

I really feel for your and your situation. I know you need dental care but care I give you a hug for now instead?

[Stargazer99]

15. thank you for your information

I will check if any of these sources are located in the Pacific Northwest
Loans mean interest, when it is difficult to pay already and then interest is added at $10 an hour after rent, food, transportation, medical bills (if there is money for that even) that is not an option.
Believe it or not I am a senior and can't receive Medicare because my $800 social security is too high to receive any help. People do not know or understand the system. But it is not me I am concerned about, it is the adult children and their teeth. This state of Washington and this nation has already let their mother die. She was $8.00 over the allowable income (below a thousand a month) and was refused care. She died when her youngest was 15 yrs old from a condition that anyone with a middle income would have been cared for. The cruelty this state and nation has give me has turned me against this nation. I no longer honor the Pledge of Alligience and excuse my presence during this time at events. Why should I honor a nation willing to let my children die while others live because they have money or insurance to care for themselves on top of offering inadequate dental care. We've have both work all our adult lives at cheaply paid labor, at least we worked, so I don't want to hear about that crap from any poster who is fortunate enough not to face these problems.

[easychoice]

3. I agree completely.

I offered to fix a friends mouth for him.He had horrible alignment and all kinds of infections and other problems.A neighbor told us about San Louis Rio Colorado,Sonora,Mexico.
The town is right across the border below Yuma,Arizona.Oh yeah,No 3 week stall jobs either!They get busy,asess the problem,get you fixed and move on to the next guy.

A $7000.00 dollar estimate here in Seattle was $500.00 complete with dentures and follow ups + $400.00 for travel and lodging.
The Drug prices there are amazing too.My inhaler is $34.00 in Seattle and it is $1.67 or 3/$5.00 in San Louis.Additionally you can bring OTC drugs back without question.There are a lot of drugs you can buy in Mexico that you can't get here without a script Drugs like Valium and Demerol need a prescription.They will tell you at the drug stores in San Louis what you need a script for and as long as you have a legit script it is fine with American customs.

If the people in this country realized how badly the Golf Course Preppies that call themselves Doctors are robbing them there would be riots.LOL.

Start Here:
http://www.mexicandoctorsandphysicians.com/ZMX856e.htm

[Stargazer99]

16. there is not enough money to travel to Mexico or South America

You see? The middleclass and fortunate do not know or understand how few options low-paid worker have

[easychoice]

17. Some of us understand...

That is why we help when we can.

[JoeyT]

4. If you avoid buying a TV,

and it's a brand new mid-grade TV, you can afford to fix a tooth. Just the one. And that's only as long as all you need is something simple. Anyone that suggests fixing teeth instead of buying a TV is an asshole.

My mom got hers totally fixed last year because I paid for almost all of it, and after her insurance it came out to about $375 a tooth. Almost what someone on minimum wage makes in a year.

[renegadestl123]

5. Simply put.

Very simply put. They along with the whole Republican Party and all there henchman are Morally Bankrupt. Simply Put. They who claim to be the moral champions in this country. The ones who Thump there Bibles and claim they are the Cristian right leaders of the only thing moral in this land. I ask them! What would Jesus do? What would Jesus say about there claims and or there actions? I think he would say he wished they would all just shut there mouths because they quit following his teachings long ago. I think there is no way you can be a true Christian and be a Republican. Just very simply put they are Morally Bankrupt!!!

[davidpdx]

6. If you can afford it come over here to Korea to get dental work done

It's less than half the cost in the US.

[mnhtnbb]

7. Do you have a dental school near you? If so, you might inquire about being seen there.

Dental care in the US--like medical care--is extremely expensive. I've been a proponent for single-payer
health care (dental and medical) for a very long time. I wonder whether it will come to be during my lifetime--
or whether we'll just keeping funding the war machine and making the rich richer.

Many people are going out of the country for dental services--not just to Mexico, but also Belize and Costa Rica.

I know ex-pats from California who organize dental care in Belize.

Here are a couple of links: http://www.offshoredental.com/
http://belizeparadise.net/belize-offshore-dentistry

[Scuba]

8. Answer: Medicare for All, including dental, optical and hearing aids!

[hunter]

18. Absolutely. We ought to be paying for the education of primary care physicians and dentists too.

New dentists and primary care physicians usually graduate with a huge burden of loans and then go to work as employees. They have no say in how much patients are charged, and no authority to offer sliding scales of payment. They go to work and they do what the boss tells them to do. They don't determine prices any more than a clerk at the 7-Eleven does.

With a national "Medicare for All" system everyone could have appropriate medical and dental care and the cost to society would be much less than the current so-called "system." It would catch medical and dental problems when they were small and easily treated, before they became catastrophic and very expensive ER visits and hospitalizations.

[csziggy]

9. Check with your local health department - they might be able to refer your grandson

My dentist is part of a group that contributes free dental care to people who cannot afford it. They get referrals from the health department and do the work pro bono.

I'd liked my dentist before I heard that he did this, and like him even more now.

[Stargazer99]

14. I've done this and anything beyond filling and cleaning

is referred to an outside dentist. The last one contacted wanted $2000 per tooth. Local Health Dept is no help in more complicated cases than filling, cleaning and pulling teeth.

[graywarrior]

10. Hell yeah!

I've been trekking into Tufts Dental School in Boston to get dental work done because my local guy wants to charge a fortune and Tufts doesn't.

[hedgehog]

11. What's even more disgusting - hearing middle class people snicker about how the

poor people in the next town over are missing teeth.

[raccoon]

12. Once a deejay made a joke about workers at Waffle House having few teeth. I emailed

and tore him a new one.

ITA, that's adding insult to injury.

[Arugula Latte]

13. Agree. All the missing/rotting teeth I see remind me that we are on our way to a 1st world/3rd world

split. It's what used to be called "Brazilification."

I am trying to instill in my kids the importance of flossing. I know it's not a prevent-all, but if I'd flossed my molars more when I was a kid/teen/young person I might not have had to deal with so much expensive dental work. I tell them flossing is good for your health and might save you from some of the horrors of our dental system in the future.

[ThoughtCriminal]

19. I've know people who go to Mexico for dental work

Fairly common in Arizona. Even upper middle class people can't afford extensive work with the meager coverage insurance that is available.