In America????

[Edwina's Secretary]

I am sure some of you will say...this woman should not have had so many children...she should have done this or done that....I am not my brother's keeper, etc.

But I think it is sad that in a country where so many have so much...a child dies for want of basic medical/dental care....

This is also a case when an ounce of prevention would have save the taxpayers a pound of....well... unsuccessful cure....

Dentist

[Ceph]

I wonder why she didnt take him to Washington Hospital Center (Children's is part of the Hospital Center) earlier. They have programs there....I should know...I was a receptionist in the Eye Clinic for almost 6 years. If you have no way to pay or no covereage, the executive director can sign a piece of paperwork to get you in to see the doctor....I know this too because my mom is the eye clinic exec. director, and I brought patients back to her all the time....Its why the dang hospitals and their clinics always comes out in the red.

[Daisy and Delilah]

What a horrible story!! It's not just incredibly sad, but, just plain incredible! I have to wonder why this would ever happen in this country too. That poor kid.

[JenBKR]

Wow....that's so sad. What that poor mother must be going through. It would probably never even occur to me that a toothache could do that to someone. I can only imagine how difficult it would be for someone barely scraping by, with no dental insurance, to find the $80 that was needed.

[sparks19]

Wow....that's so sad. What that poor mother must be going through. It would probably never even occur to me that a toothache could do that to someone. I can only imagine how difficult it would be for someone barely scraping by, with no dental insurance, to find the $80 that was needed.

I wouldn't have ever thought of that either. Gosh... I remember as a kid lying to my mom about toothaches just so I wouldn't have to go to the dentist. Now I have a tooth that is mostly filling.... to think that could have been much more serious. who would have thought.

In Canada, Dental is not covered by our OHIP. You have to get it through your work or a private insurance company. Luckily my step dads work covered half of my braces so we only (pfft only lol) had to pay $2000 instead of $4000. My dad's insurance only covered $1000 for my wisdom teeth so I had to pay the extra $1000. Dental can be very pricey.

[CathyBogart]

Do you remember when we had a thread here about a boy whose teeth were so rotten he was taken from his mother.....and most of the people said taking him away from her was overreacting?

This is why that boy was taken away.

RIP Deamonte.

[Argranade]

OMG that's horrible!

I'm scared now! I have like not a tooth ache but when I eat sweets 2 of my teeth hurt, this can't kill me right .. what are the chances?

I'm going to the dentist this week 0.o

[Marigold2]

We have no dental either because my husband works for a small company that is too cheap to get dental. Poor people get Medicaid middle class get the shaft. It's sad but true. Dental work is very expensive, and not everyone can pay $3000.00 for a bridge. However if it was this bad for the poor kid the parents need to step up more.

[wombat2u2004]

Wow....what is up with your dentists ??? What is up with your SYSTEM ????
It's greed....right ????
I had a wisdom tooth extracted only a few months ago by my dentist....a bloody good dentist to.
The cost ??? A whopping great $150.
And this dentist is rich rich rich.
Now really folks........US dentists can justify the charges they make ???
If they can, then they must be magicians.
Well...I guess if you all keep paying....they are just gonna keep taking.
Wombat

[Edwina's Secretary]

We have no dental either because my husband works for a small company that is too cheap to get dental. Poor people get Medicaid middle class get the shaft. It's sad but true. Dental work is very expensive, and not everyone can pay $3000.00 for a bridge. However if it was this bad for the poor kid the parents need to step up more.

I think you miss the point.

1. It is diffiuclt to find a dentist who will accept you as a new patient unless you have dental insurance. I know because we did not have it until this year. She, of course, did not have it. Dentists did not want to accept her son as a patient because she was on medicaid.

2. She DID step up more...the dentist would not see them.

3. You cannot afford a bridge. Her son died. And YOU get the shaft???

[lizbud]

I think you miss the point.

1. It is diffiuclt to find a dentist who will accept you as a new patient unless you have dental insurance. I know because we did not have it until this year. She, of course, did not have it. Dentists did not want to accept her son as a patient because she was on medicaid.

2. She DID step up more...the dentist would not see them.

3. You cannot afford a bridge. Her son died. And YOU get the shaft???

It is sad, that a child died because of one bad tooth. I don't think a lot
of people can relate to this families poverty.Their everyday poverty and
that's sad too.

[Catlady711]

While it's sad that things like this do happen in this day and age.

This is also a good time to remind ourselves how important dental care is, not only for us but also our 4 legged furry children too!

[wombat2u2004]

I think you miss the point.

1. It is diffiuclt to find a dentist who will accept you as a new patient unless you have dental insurance. I know because we did not have it until this year. She, of course, did not have it. Dentists did not want to accept her son as a patient because she was on medicaid.

2. She DID step up more...the dentist would not see them.

3. You cannot afford a bridge. Her son died. And YOU get the shaft???

This is not REALLY the ES from previous posts is it ???
Nawwwww....couldn't be. For if it is......she is a walking / talking contradiction.

[Twisterdog]

What a horrible situation.

One of my employees called every dentist in our entire county last week, because her daughter's tooth broke off, with the root exposed. Guess what ... not one dentist would see her - they either were not taking new patients at all, or not taking Medicare patients at all. She took her to the emergency room, where they waiting six hours, finally saw a doctor, who gave her some Tylenol, and said he would try to find an on-call dentist. Four hours later they left, still unseen. They ended up getting a $500 loan from me for gas and dentist bill, and driving to the next state to get the tooth pulled. Seriously. And the area I live in is by no means poverty stricken.

So I have no doubts whatsoever that this poor woman did indeed try to get her kids in to see dentists, and was denied time and again.

[wombat2u2004]

What a horrible situation.

One of my employees called every dentist in our entire county last week, because her daughter's tooth broke off, with the root exposed. Guess what ... not one dentist would see her - they either were not taking new patients at all, or not taking Medicare patients at all. She took her to the emergency room, where they waiting six hours, finally saw a doctor, who gave her some Tylenol, and said he would try to find an on-call dentist. Four hours later they left, still unseen. They ended up getting a $500 loan from me for gas and dentist bill, and driving to the next state to get the tooth pulled. Seriously. And the area I live in is by no means poverty stricken.

So I have no doubts whatsoever that this poor woman did indeed try to get her kids in to see dentists, and was denied time and again.

You have to be kidding !!!! Are these dentists supposed to be members of the human race or what ????
I tell you what...if that happened here in Australia, those dentists would be out of business so fast they wouldn't know what hit them.
There's a little thing here called professionalism.....and it's all too obvious after reading your post that it doesn't exist in your country.
How disgusting.
Wombat