DUmmies Discuss Dental Care

[GOBUCKS]

I've never heard of really good dental insurance. Probably public employees have it, maybe military. So if it's lousy for normal civilized people, you can be assured it is truly awful in the world of DUmbasses:

sabra  (1000+ posts)         Mon Feb-15-10 01:29 PM
Original message
"Some people fear dental bills more than they fear dental treatment" 

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/02/patients-lin...

Patients take bite out of free dental clinic services

For Valentine's Day, Kaurina Crisanti got her impacted molars extracted, courtesy of Big Smile Dental.

Crisanti, 24, showed up at the Logan Square dentist's office at 3:30 a.m. today in anticipation of Dentists With Heart offering free X-rays, fillings and extractions. Clad in a rainbow sweater, Crisanti came prepared with four blankets, pillows, snacks, a book and money to buy coffee.

Yet, even with her early arrival, she was the 36th person in line. When her number was called, tears streamed down her face in fear of getting her wisdom teeth pulled.

The process, which would have cost $1,000 under normal circumstances, was over in a matter of minutes. With a mouth full of gauze and a prescription for Vicodin in hand, Crisanti professed her gratitude to the oral surgeon, Dr. David Hanson, and apologized for not making him a Valentine's Day card.

Dentists with Heart has treated more than 3,000 people and provided more than $1.25 million in free dentistry, according to Dr. Ted Siegel, who founded the organization in 2006.

"Some people fear dental bills more than they fear dental treatment," Siegel said. "Dentistry is a luxury (some people) can't afford."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7719105
Bingo!! That Vicodin prescription explains the long line of DUmmies at 3am.

Drunken Irishman  (1000+ posts)        Mon Feb-15-10 01:31 PM
Response to Original message
1. I've had a bad molar for a couple years now. I'm thankful it hasn't abscessed.
If it did, I'd be ****ed. I spent a lot of money on root canals and fillings a few years ago. I just can't do it now. So I walk around with a bad tooth. It sucks. But I just don't have the money and my work doesn't offer dental.

DUmmies never have money for doctors or dentists, but their drug dealer can afford a 10 pound gold necklace.

progressoid  (1000+ posts)       Mon Feb-15-10 02:43 PM
Response to Reply #1
14. Sounds like our situation too.
Our Dental coverage is a joke. I just hope I can get mine fixed before it gets worse.

It will get worse as long as you're on meth.

havocmom  (1000+ posts)        Mon Feb-15-10 01:34 PM
Response to Original message
3. Beautiful and sad story. Thanks for posting. 
I used to get so annoyed years ago when too many DUers would make fun of people with bad teeth. I wanted to shake them and scream: Sometimes it's the POVERTY, stupid!

Usually, it's the methamphetamines, stupid!


DUmmy Skidmore tosses in a half-hearted bouncy:

Skidmore  (1000+ posts)        Mon Feb-15-10 01:35 PM
Response to Original message
4. We lost our dental insurance for 4 years and were just recently
able to get it again. The problem is not the exam and the cleaning but what to do if they find a problem. We didn't go there those years and did our best to care for our teeth. When we did get in, I got an earful from the dentist about how she hoped that her profession wouldn't be included in the healthcare reform measures being discussed at the time.

       


It's not likely that a decent and civilized person will think of politics when stricken by a toothache, but democrat DUmmies are a different species:

upi402 (1000+ posts)        Mon Feb-15-10 01:37 PM
Response to Original message
5. I have a bad tooth and just suffer
I hate Democrats who sold us out with a white hot passion. Worse than Repukes who are honest about screwing us.

The DUmp is a learning experience. I was unaware that MOST people don't go to the dentist:

ipaint (1000+ posts)      Mon Feb-15-10 01:47 PM
Response to Original message
7. Almost 50% of the households in this country
make under 40,000 a year.

Dentistry is a luxury MOST people can't afford.

 

Political_Junkie (1000+ posts)      Mon Feb-15-10 01:59 PM
Response to Reply #7
12. I always tell people,
"This is America. Teeth are for the rich." - I say it like it's a joke, but it's no laughing matter. I've got a mouth full of pain from years of undiagnosed TMJ. No one should have to deal with pain, because they can't afford treatment.

And the interesting thing is, the richer you are, the more teeth you can have. It's not uncommon for really wealthy people to have 60 or 70 teeth, or more. They have very toothy grins.


DUmmy tonysam is the whackjob to justifies any crime committed by a union member, including murder:

tonysam  (1000+ posts)       Mon Feb-15-10 03:19 PM
Response to Reply #12
20. Same here, only it's periodontal disease
I need to have thousands of dollars of dental work done, but there is no way I have the money to get them done.

dysfunctional press  (1000+ posts)      Mon Feb-15-10 02:54 PM
Response to Original message
18. a few years back, i got tired of constant pain and not being able to afford dental treatment...
(due to VERY lousy dental "insurance" at my wife's job at the time)...so i had what were left of my teeth pulled, top and bottom, and got fitted for full dentures.

at age 46, it was the BEST my teeth had ever looked since i had my braces taken off in jr. high, with EXTREMELY inflamed and ugly gums that never did get back to right.

and- all that recurring tooth pain is GONE for good.

I'm really disappointed that DUmmy ThomWV hasn't shown up here. His tale of pulling all his own teeth and crafting them into a necklace would fit right in with the rest of these lunatics.

[The Village Idiot]

My brother knows a dentist who does cheap work once every month or two. When he isn't on a mission trip to Brazil or something.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I've never heard of really good dental insurance. Probably public employees have it, maybe military. So if it's lousy for normal civilized people, you can be assured it is truly awful in the world of DUmbasses:

For whatever reason, I've almost always had great dental insurance.  My current has ZERO co-pay for regular checkups & cleaning.

[GOBUCKS]

For whatever reason, I've almost always had great dental insurance.  My current has ZERO co-pay for regular checkups & cleaning.

Yeah, that's what I have as well. Checkups/cleaning fully covered twice per year. But crowns, fillings, orthodontics, anything like that, and the insurance doesn't seem much more than a discount. It cost me thousands for my daughters to have their standard sorority smiles. Not at all like medical coverage.

[BadCat]

Yeah, that's what I have as well. Checkups/cleaning fully covered twice per year. But crowns, fillings, orthodontics, anything like that, and the insurance doesn't seem much more than a discount. It cost me thousands for my daughters to have their standard sorority smiles. Not at all like medical coverage.

That's pretty standard.  Mine pays for the checkups/cleanings/x-rays twice a year, pays 60% on things like fillings, extractions and crowns and 50% for everything else.

[Lord Undies]

We have really good dental insurance.  It's cheap as a DUmmie's sister too. 

The stupid Little Goons are big dumb children.  Dental care is not a "luxury many cannot afford".  Dental care is a necessity stupid Little Goons don't want to have to buy for themselves.

I will bet most Little Goons can't "afford" mouthwash.  Stuff like that bites into their dope budget. 

[chitownchica]

I've had to have some dental work done this year, but I'll be the first to admit that I have an irrational fear of dentists and did myself no favors by putting off visits.  I have decent dental coverage, but a root canal and crown can set one back a bit.  Luckily I put money in a flexible spending account and have used it for my dental work.  Even if I didn't have it, though, I wouldn't think it is the governments job to provide me with beautiful teeth. I love Political_Junkie's sense of entitlement when he/she states no one should have to suffer from a toothache just because they can't afford to have it fixed.

I guess the DUmmies have never seen the beautiful teeth UK residents get courtesy of the NHS.  Those DUmbasses are so funny.

[BadCat]

I've had to have some dental work done this year, but I'll be the first to admit that I have an irrational fear of dentists and did myself no favors by putting off visits.  I have decent dental coverage, but a root canal and crown can set one back a bit.  Luckily I put money in a flexible spending account and have used it for my dental work.  Even if I didn't have it, though, I wouldn't think it is the governments job to provide me with beautiful teeth. I love Political_Junkie's sense of entitlement when he/she states no one should have to suffer from a toothache just because they can't afford to have it fixed.

I guess the DUmmies have never seen the beautiful teeth UK residents get courtesy of the NHS.  Those DUmbasses are so funny.

Since (in another thread) they seem to think that cartoonists such as Seth McFarland's political views are so great, how did they miss the Simpson's episode where they convinced Lisa to get braces by showing her "The Big Book of British Smiles"?

[IassaFTots]

I've had to have some dental work done this year, but I'll be the first to admit that I have an irrational fear of dentists and did myself no favors by putting off visits.  I have decent dental coverage, but a root canal and crown can set one back a bit.  

Ditto.  I believe my FSA dollars will be purchasing a car for a  dentist's child this year. 

[GOBUCKS]

I've had to have some dental work done this year, but I'll be the first to admit that I have an irrational fear of dentists and did myself no favors by putting off visits.

Tell them you want nitrous oxide during the work in addition to the injected anesthetic. It is the greatest thing ever invented. Even if they do something that hurts, you won't care. Every time I've had it, I've offered to buy the rest of the cylinder, but they decline to sell. I would never take the sleeping pills that some dentists use, but I'll take nitrous any time.

[Karin]

Yeah, I once had a super-sensetive spot on a tooth, the kind that would make you levitate to the ceiling if it was simply and gently tapped with an instrument.  It obviously needed work, but I was scared to death of anybody coming near that spot.  So we started with valiums, then hit the nitrous, then tons of novacaine, and all was well.  They may make you pay extra for it, but I told them, "whatever it takes." 

Does anybody in their 40's remember that old movie from the 80's "Thank God it's Friday?"  It was a cheesy disco movie.   The dental nurse would hit the nitrous then hit the bars.   

[Tucker]

DUmmy tonysam is the whackjob to justifies any crime committed by a union member, including murder:

Fixt.

DUmmy tonysam is the whackjob teacher that justifies any crime committed by a teacher , including molestation of a 15 year old student:

[GOBUCKS]

Does anybody in their 40's remember that old movie from the 80's "Thank God it's Friday?"  It was a cheesy disco movie.   The dental nurse would hit the nitrous then hit the bars. 

Well, that's make believe. One thing about nitrous is that it hits you full force almost instantly, but the high completely disappears within seconds when they put you back on regular air. If you were going to use it socially, you'd need to wear a backpack.

[chitownchica]

Ah, the good ol' days of laughing gas.  Luckily I found a dentist who has helped me get over that fear.  Gentle as a lamb and always checks to make sure I'm ok.  I will have to ask her if she has any canisters that I can take advantage of.

[jennytainer]

It might really be so hard to find a cheaper dental insurance. Rather, it is better to find a dental clinic that is cheaper in services so it should be convenient.