dental care
low income
mainecare health care systems
rich
teeth
tooth lack of adaquate care
toothless
Good teeth are for the rich!
By Hannah828
@Hannah828 (88)
United States
July 13, 2007 11:06am CST
Here in the great state of Maine, we have a real health crisis on our hands, and it's not obesity or heart disease or any number of so-called big bad diseases. No, what I am talking about is the lack of adaquate dental care for people over the age of 18. There is a decent plan in place through the Mainecare program for children, but adults get the shaft. Need a cleaning, ha! A root canal? lol! The only option for you, my foul-mouthed friend is to wait until your teeth are in such a state of rot and decay that you are forced by blinding pain to visit the local Emergency Room. They will, of course, give you a prescription for Vicadin or some such narcotic, then accuse you of being an addict when you return the following week for the same exact problem. Oh, and a 500.00 bill too, which will end up going to collections because you can't afford to pay it. If you had that kind of cash laying around, you would have been able to afford regular visits to the dentist. After a few of these run-abouts, someone will finally consent to giving you a referral to an oral surgeon who will pull out the offending tooth, bill your excellent State Health Plan, and send you on your way.
Of course now the tooth on the other side is starting to ache and the whole ridiculous process starts all over.
It's a sad downward spiral towards toothlessness.
Anyone want to comment?
1 response
@Hannah828 (88)
• United States
13 Jul 07
Oh, please do! My husband was ready to sterilize a pair of vice grips and yank the sucker out himself. At least they are going to take it out on monday, but he is in some kinda pain, I tell you what.