Dental health IS medical health. Our teeth being healthy is not only vital to our health but is vital to our survival given they are required for us to feed ourselves and play the very first role in the process of digestion. Yet dental insurance barely covers any treatment, especially any extensive treatments or replacements of teeth. All of that has to be paid out of pocket despite our teeth being a vital part of our body. Teeth should not be treated as a privilege only given to those who can afford it. If we lost a finger, health insurance would pay for it. But when we lose a tooth, dental insurance doesn’t cover it. It’s long overdue that our teeth and their treatments are treated like the rest of our bodies.
I definitely agree with this. Something that I also learned over the last couple of years, an untreated cavity can cause severe medical issues with the body. It sends toxins into the blood stream and the stomach and can make people very sick, but when you go to the doctor, they can’t find anything wrong with you. That’s because the issue is with the teeth. Bad dental hygiene also causes migraines. If we treat teeth as a necessity instead of vanity, there are many health issues that can be controlled, which also means less medications poisoning the body trying to get rid of these related aches and pains.
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I agree. I posted something very similar including vision as well.
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I agree! It is a KNOWN medical fact that rotten teeth can actually kill you! In fact, the most common cause of death before dental hygiene became a thing was rotten teeth. It is STILL the leading cause of death in domestic pets today. Having healthy teeth is just as important as a healthy body. Some people have “soft” teeth that tend towards cavities more then other people. My fiance is one of those people. His teeth need to be completely replaced (entire mouth), not hecause he is lazy or a an addict but because he has “soft” teeth that rotted out from a permanent retainer his parents had put in to correct tooth misalignment when he was a child. Now his teeth are wrecked, and we cannot afford the $40,000-$50,000 it will take to replace them all. He’s constantly sick (He’s been to the hospital THREE times this year!) with blood infections that his doctors don’t know how he gets. I’m convinced it’s his teeth! He’s only 40 years old!! This should not be happening to a man his age!!! We neednhelp affording adequate denatl care!
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Omg that’s awful. I’m so sorry to hear that. The cost of dental and medical is honestly outrageous. People shouldn’t be suffering over things that happen to their body that they can’t control. We absolutely need help. I understand what you mean by soft teeth. There’s also an issue for people who don’t have the proper enamel on their teeth. I have a lot of medical issues and my medicines eat away at my enamel. So cavities are common for me regardless of how good my hygiene is. I can follow every instruction my dentist gives me and I will still end up with cavities from no fault of my own. We shouldn’t be financially punished for our medical issues.
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I completely agree!
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Yes! This should include dental implants of all kinds. It is not cosmetic.
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As someone who works in the dental field I completely agree. Gum disease has been linked to all sorts of medical conditions including heart and Alzheimer’s.
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Yes! Some of us have genetically “bad teeth”. Sadly, I am one of those people too. It’s not even typical cavities for me…my teeth just turn black INSIDE the tooth before any evidence ever shows on the surface. My dentist even found that the decay wasn’t even starting from the root area…it literally happens somewhere in the middle of the tooth itself. He said he’s never seen anything like it. Even having to pay out of pocket for constant xrays in an attempt to intervene quickly doesn’t help since it doesn’t pick up anything in most of the teeth until they were already too far gone. How?? I don’t know. My dentists have all said I have excellent hygiene and it has absolutely nothing to do with a lack of care. I’m 43 and have spent OVER $30,000 in procedures, crowns, bridges, extractions, implants, even a sinus lift so the implant wouldn’t drive up into my sinus cavity! All that and I still need 2 more implants so I haven’t been able to chew on my right side for almost 4 years. Other than the 2 needed implants and one more crown replacement, the entire top row has been replaced. But the bottom teeth desperately need to be pulled, new crowns or implants. I’m so fed up with it. I’m ready to just pull them all and get the denture implants called “All on 4s”. It’s just insane to spend so much money on something I cannot help. I pay so much for medical insurance but never have to use it because my teeth are my only problem!!