Dentists Are Busier (And Richer) Than Ever

New York Times:

For American dentists, times have never been better.

The same cannot be said for Americans' teeth.

With dentists' fees rising far faster than inflation and more than 100 million people lacking dental insurance, the percentage of Americans with untreated cavities began rising this decade, reversing a half-century trend of improvement in dental health.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[unclebucky]

I dunno.

I know a guy whose dentist advised him to get some dental work. The proposed bill would have been over $2500 for a gold crown, and the refilling of cavities with the same old almagam (metal which includes mercury). This office was recently remodelled, had two rows of dental stations, had 3 dental hygenists, 1 office manager and 4 front office patient wranglers.

Instead, this guy went to another dental office--somewhere else. It was found by this other dentist that a crown was not necessary and that the amalgam needed to be removed and replaced with the latest resin compound. After all was done, he had an ultrasonic cleaning, four tooth reconstructions, a few smaller fillings replaced and a complete readjustment of the bite. Further, there was no longer the pain of deteriorating fillings and mal-adjusted bite. Cost: $400.

Now, one year later, the work is still in place and has never caused a problem.

Mmm? Wanna know where? Pick a place where there are no HMOs, no Malpractice ambulance chasers, and no sales and marketing bloodsuckers pitching their wares. Pick a place where the work is honest, the resources without a hefty markup and where most patients earn far less than those in the US.

So it ain't Canada and it wasn't Tijuana either. But it ain't the US, which is my point.

Ugh.

--UB.

[wordvarc]

Dentists escaped managed care, keep a lid on the number of graduates, and use their state exam systems to limit licenses. Their state boards protect dentists, not consumers. They have followed orthodondists in business development of large offices and mastered using assistants and hygenists to do most patient care.
.

[emerywood]

If I am correct, Medicare patients have to pay cash for dental care unless they join HMO's that cover it or buy dental insurance. That is a large number of patients. Lack of dental care may not be lethal immediately for the elderly, but the discomfort and pain and complications could be unbearable and long-lasting. Those who can't afford to pay will become edentulous eventually, affecting their general health no doubt.
Why does Medicare not cover dental work ?

[godlessclif]

Because free dental care is communism.

[emerywood]

Who says Medicare is free ? We all pay for it, except the money has been used for the Iraq war behind our back.

[Ginzaman]

If that's true, then why can't you find a good British dentist? Because there aren't any!

[unclebucky]

Well, then the US follows the UK in poor dental care...

Or maybe you are using old data about British dental care from before the 60s?

Are you sure there are more gap-toothed yokums in the UK than in the US? Have you looked down the streets and in the rural small towns in the US....?

Now, aren't you ashamed of yourself?

Ugh.

--UB.

[godlessclif]

Because British Socialized Medicine does not cover Dental. Dental care in Britain is capitalist and so inferior.

[mrcontinental]

And they still ripoff their hygenist forcing them to work as part time employees without benefits.

[Wiredwilly]

And the patients are poorer and watching their teeth fall out
because they can't afford Medical Care.

[Olerist]

and they still think its ok to put mercury in peoples mouth

[godlessclif]

When people died a 40 years old Mercury did not matter. Now millions get Alzheimer's disease late in life from Mercury amalgam filings.

When will the USA care for it's people?

[godlessclif]

Screw Hillary care.

[wadenelson1]

I guess dentists, by right of their long and expensive education, deserve to be rich.