When Will DENTAL Issues Find a Place Within Healthcare Reform?

[HopeOverFear]

Advocates Press to Have Dental Issues Addressed: 'We're Always Left Out'

The 2007 death of a Prince George's County boy because of an untreated dental abscess was a tragic reminder of the connection between oral health and overall health.

Yet dental care remains the most common unmet health-care need of children in the United States. Tooth decay is five times as likely to be found in children as is asthma, which, like most common illnesses, is covered by health insurance. But at least 26 million children lack dental coverage, more than twice as many as lack medical insurance, according to federal health statistics.

Among adults, oral cancer kills more Americans than cervical cancer, and research suggests that oral infections can affect pregnancy outcomes and complicate chronic diseases such as diabetes. Still, 82 million adults have no dental insurance.

As the Obama administration rolls out its massive health-care reform effort, many dental-health experts worry that a golden opportunity is being missed. "Is oral health care getting enough attention in the current health-care reform discussion? The fast answer is no, and the door is closing," said Yolanda Bonta, a New Jersey dentist who is active in the national Hispanic Dental Association.

"We're always left out a little," said Michael Battle, a Charlotte dentist and president of the National Dental Association, which represents 6,000 black dentists.


Oral-health professionals fear that dental issues have a tenuous place at best in the national debate. "If we could be at the table instead of on the menu it would be great," said Kathleen T. O'Loughlin, a Massachusetts dentist, educator and executive director of the American Dental Association, which has more than 157,000 members. Dental care, said O'Loughlin, "is an essential part of overall health, and it shouldn't be overlooked."

Burton Edelstein, a professor of dentistry and health policy management at Columbia University, says it has been "very challenging" to try to join the debate: "The mouth," he said, "is the only body part or essential organ that is excluded from policymakers' routine consideration of health and health care."

[960]

1. K&R

[MADem]

2. It's all of a piece--I really think that "medical" coverage ought to include the whole package, to

include at least basic dental care.

[timeforpeace]

4. Dental care is not part of the healthcare plan? How can that be?

[SeattleGirl]

20. It's usually a separate plan.

I don't have dental insurance, even though I have medical.

It should be part of a healthcare plan, Dental problems CAN be deadly, no doubt.

[glinda]

7. I want all oral surgery covered. Not just basic because that is where the cost and abuse is.

[HopeOverFear]

8. Agreed.

[MADem]

9. Well, dental health IS something that people, themselves, can control.

I don't think the person suffering from a mouthful of broken teeth due to being beaten senseless in an armed robbery should be bumped to the back of the line and have to wait for rationed care because a dentist is too busy creating dental implants for some sucker who never brushed their teeth.

I do think there should be some requirement that people brush their teeth every so often, to be fair to those that do. And I also think that basic, preventive care is a good place as any to start. You're never going to get it all, and get it affordably--that's just not in the cards in the near term, IMO.

Don't many medical plans cover some oral surgeries?

[inthebrain]

3. Oh yeah

I had the worst toot ache one could imagine a few years ago. One of my wisdom teeth was growing in in such a way that it was wedged under the preceding tooth and into my jaw bone. I didn't have insurance and none of the emergancy rooms would allow me service.

I was turned down by tons of private dentists as well.

I had to live with the pain for almost two months before one guy with heart was willing to help me. All he asked for was 25% of the cost upfront and he took a saturday to perform the surgery. He even offered me pain meds and low cost antibiotics to treat the infection.

[aquamarina]

5. Don't forget about vision - it is amazing to me how this

is left out of most health care coverage as well.

[HopeOverFear]

6. Agreed. I have glaucoma

so that means a lot to me.

[Sgent]

23. I've never heard of a health plan

that doesn't cover glaucoma treatment.

They may not cover it at an optometrist office, but I've been dealing with all types of health plans for years, and never seen any that didn't cover diseases of the eye.

[goclark]

10. Dental Care is sky high

And it is so important.

My dentist gave me an "estimate" of what I needed and the insurance didn't cover --- $6000 was the price -- implant etc.

[JNelson6563]

11. Don't get me started.

The situation regarding dental care in this country is sickening. And how many dentists out there rake in the dough and do nothing to help those who cannot afford their ridciulous fees? Too many. And then there are those who believe a visit to their office is an excersize in how to squeeze as much out of every patient possible.

There are truly dentists out there that make me wish there was a hell cause they so deserve it. Greedy fuckers. They could give Wall St. bankers a lesson in greed.

Julie

[HowHasItComeToThis]

13. EACH DENTAL SCOOL HAS "PRACTICE MANAGEMENT"

KEEPING THE MONEY COMING IN

[JerseygirlCT]

12. Mental and dental

ought to have absolute parity with other health care. How they've become set off to the side as some sort of extra, unnecessary care is beyond me. Or should I say how we've allowed that to happen - it's easy to see how it happened.

We don't have dental insurance, and I can tell you I've spent a pretty penny over the years. Just have one of those mouths. Fortunately for me, we've been able to afford it. But I don't see where this part of medical care should be considered less important.

[JBoy]

14. Up here in B.C., routine dental is not part of our standard coverage

but "medically necessary" oral surgery is. The case in the OP would likely fall under "medically necessary".

[mindwalker_i]

15. Congress will really have to

chew that one over.

[dflprincess]

16. One of most important things for heart health is regular dental cleanings

(and flossing). At the very least twice a year cleanings should be covered - it could save a lot in cardiac care.

[HopeOverFear]

26. True, heart health is related to dental health

[Festivito]

17. When the intelligent take leadership roles in America.

Or, it could be sooner. After all, even a blind pig occasionally finds a truffle.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

18. Teeth, eyes and mental should all be covered.

I have worn glasses since I was 6 years old, and I needed them earlier than that. Mom took me to the eye doctor b/c she wondered why I always had my nose stuck in a book.


She found out! I could not see more than a few inches in front of my face!! She felt stupid.

Glasses are NOT a luxury.

There was a story recently on FARK about a school district in Fla. that had students not passing their standardized tests. Somebody got the bright idea to test their vision. Fifty out of five hundred students needed glasses and did not know it. So they got glasses.

Guess what? Their test scores went up substantially.

[madamesilverspurs]

22. How about hearing?

[PVnRT]

27. Hearing is typically covered under normal health insurance

General practitioners generally check hearing and will refer you on. That's not the case, however, with mental, dental or vision.

[madamesilverspurs]

28. That's as may be,

but Dad's insurance covered the hearing tests, but he had to pay out-of-pocket for the hearing aids.

[Number23]

19. Kick

oral cancer kills more Americans than cervical cancer

I had NO IDEA. Thanks for posting. Happy to rec

[flamingdem]

21. we can dream k+r

[LooseWilly]

24. Tuesday?

But seriously... I can't help but wonder... do you think dental/mental/optical/auditory should all be included in the public plan? Which would you be willing to trade away in a "compromise" to get the votes to get the rest through? Would you be willing to sacrifice them all to get a public plan?

If the public plan turns out to be some sort of crappy co-op compromise, such as Feinstein seems willing to embrace, would you be ok with that if it included all of the above? Would you prefer a crappy co-op compromise with all of the above over a public plan with none of the above?... or would you rather have a public plan, even with none of the above?

Or is the general consensus that we "need it all"?

As a person with no health insurance of any sort... I'm just a bit curious how the crowds fall on these specifics.... and where compromise is most likely.

[LaurenG]

25. What a happy thought that is!

I just went to the dentist yesterday, I need about $7,000.00 worth of work just to start, (not cosmetic). I don't have that kind of money and I do have dental ins. but it only covers up to $1,000 annually. :(

[earth mom]

29. The majority of Dentists are nothing more than greedy bastards.

I had an infected (abscessed) molar about 10 years ago. I was up in the middle of the night for days on end with unbelievably severe pain (it always hurt more in the middle of the night for some reason) because I had no insurance and was totally broke at the time. All the nearby dentists refused to treat me. I had to borrow the money and drive like 50 miles to get a dentist to take the tooth out for a flat rate price. :grr: