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Interesting how this thread has morphed into it being all the fault of dentists that people have missing teeth. How many people who can't "afford" dental care seem to be able to afford cigarettes, or large quantities of alcohol, or a big screen TV, or $50 seats at live sports events, or more trendy clothes than they need, or any number of similar things?
And how many of those people have been penny wise and pound foolish by skipping the twice annual cleanings which could save them lots in the long run by preventing tooth loss in the first place?
Lots of people are ignorant and foolish and that has a lot to do with tooth loss. We all have our own priorities.
Dentists fees are discusting high. Its like the dentist only cares about the money. To pull one tooth is should cost a max of 50.00.
O.K., you have given your opinion. I am interested in the basis for it. Have you analyzed the lengh of training required to become a dentist, the cost of setting up a practice (equipment, x-ray machine, etc.), the cost of mal-practice insurance, etc.?
In your view, is going to a dentist and receiving services to be compared to going to a barber shop or a hairdresser? How much do you think it's fair for a dentist to earn (net) in a year's time? Should he earn less, more, or the same as an elementary school teacher? A CPA? An auto mechanic?
Interesting how this thread has morphed into it being all the fault of dentists that people have missing teeth. How many people who can't "afford" dental care seem to be able to afford cigarettes, or large quantities of alcohol, or a big screen TV, or $50 seats at live sports events, or more trendy clothes than they need, or any number of similar things?
And how many of those people have been penny wise and pound foolish by skipping the twice annual cleanings which could save them lots in the long run by preventing tooth loss in the first place?
Lots of people are ignorant and foolish and that has a lot to do with tooth loss. We all have our own priorities.
And as said previously, a lot of it has to do with the more prevalent use of meth in the past couple of generations.
When it comes to my health - dental or otherwise, I make an attempt to get the best that my insurance will cover. If my insurance doesn't cover it, I go with the best that I can afford, even if it means dipping into my home equity. Defaulting on a loan is survivable. Defaulting on your health is not.
that's is the problem. It should be affordable for everyone.
Not having proper dental care can and does lead to death.
There is affordable preventative maintenence:
a toothbrush
flouridated toothpaste
dental floss
antiseptic mouth rinse
sugary carbonated drinks eliminated or kept to an absolute minimum (1 or 2 glasses per *week*)
citrus fruits limited or diluted by drinking water or rinsing the mouth with water after consumption
By eliminating drinking sodas entirely, a family could then afford at least one of their twice-yearly dental checkups.
Also, not having proper dental care can lead to death - IF it isn't taken care of before it becomes too expensive. If people cut back on non-essentials (such as their WII, cable TV, their kid's Kindle - with obligatory $40 kindle cover, gym membership, shiny spray for their car tires, etc etc)... then they would have NO problem affording one of their two yearly dental checkups. The key to good dental care is PREVENTION. If you don't do anything to PREVENT problems, then you're basically begging for problems.
a toothbrush
flouridated toothpaste
dental floss
antiseptic mouth rinse
sugary carbonated drinks eliminated or kept to an absolute minimum (1 or 2 glasses per *week*)
citrus fruits limited or diluted by drinking water or rinsing the mouth with water after consumption
By eliminating drinking sodas entirely, a family could then afford at least one of their twice-yearly dental checkups.
Also, not having proper dental care can lead to death - IF it isn't taken care of before it becomes too expensive. If people cut back on non-essentials (such as their WII, cable TV, their kid's Kindle - with obligatory $40 kindle cover, gym membership, shiny spray for their car tires, etc etc)... then they would have NO problem affording one of their two yearly dental checkups. The key to good dental care is PREVENTION. If you don't do anything to PREVENT problems, then you're basically begging for problems.
you assume a lot.
Some people can do all the above Preventatives and still have dental problems.
You also don't know whether people are spending money on all that you listed. Some people are barely getting by; so stop judging. Maybe YOU spend money on all those things but not everyone does.
No, I don't. I don't have a wii, I don't own a cell phone because I hate them. I don't even have cable internet. I have DSL, because it's hooked up to my landline, which I'm too stubborn to get rid of. I don't have kids, I don't have a car that I'd waste money shining up the tires. I choose to spend money on things I actually need, and then if there's anything left over, I spend on things I want.
And - if you have dental insurance of any kind (which can run around $2/week), a routine dental checkup is likely to cost you around $60. With a full set of x-rays (which you'd only need every other year, if you go to the same dentist), it might be as much as $100.
If you don't have insurance, you might need to double that. If you don't have the same dentist, you can usually find a dental group in your area that offers an initial consultation, plus a full initial checkup with a full set of x-rays for under $100, as their way of getting you to become their long-term patient.
If a meth addict can afford their next fix, they can afford to go to the dentist. And if a meth addict can afford to go to the dentist, then so can everyone else.
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