January 30, 2007
Lack of Dental Care Leaves Poor in Agony
Now that Universal Health Care is all the buzz in Washington, we shouldn't forget about dental care.
From the Seattle Times:
Affordable health care is more than just free pills.Even as improving the nation's health-insurance system gains traction in Congress and in state capitols, dentists and advocates for the poor complain that dental care remains a neglected stepchild among health priorities. In Washington, Gov. Christine Gregoire, while promoting universal health coverage for all children, has not proposed any increase in money for dental care for the poor.
The disparity leaves dentists warning the governor and the state Legislature that poor and uninsured people will face an increasingly tough time getting decent dental care. And advocates note that poor oral health is the root of a host of life-threatening and expensive medical problems that contribute to an overloaded health-care system.