In all of the health care talk, I haven't really noticed anything about dental health. It's one of those areas of health care that seems to get relegated to the sidelines, but probably has a greater incidence of neglect or lack of coverage than other health care. Perhaps that is due to fluoride in the water supply; perhaps it is because dental care is not seen as a serious issue. Well, compared to heart disease, it probably isn't.
I bring this up because today one of my molars is giving up the ghost. It has been filled and cracked and root-canaled and crowned and now the roots are being absorbed and its getting loose. So, it is time to say goodbye. I also bring this up because, like many, I have not bothered with a dental insurance policy. Because I was aware of the problem, it seemed unethical to purchase a dental insurance policy to pay for a portion of the treatment. And, when you get down to it, unless you have an employer-paid or sponsored policy, it is likely that your coverage is pretty much a wash.
Dental health care is much like overall health care. Routine maintenance goes a long way. Insurance coverage or not, 6-month cleanings and checkups are a must for me. It's a "pay me now or pay me later" proposition and I would rather pay now. Of course, dentistry has come a long way since the first cavity appeared in that molar... over 50 years ago. Today, people can have perfect teeth all of their lives. It just takes some effort... with or without insurance.
Oh, about 29,000 people per year die from oral cancer... and most of those cancers would have been detected during a semi-annual cleaning.
Now the question is what to do with the space that has been vacated. I'm working on that.