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  • WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28 2007 4:00 PM

Boy Dies From Bad Tooth

Submitted by Bitch_PhD

Edited by erin_broadley

Tags: health care, insurance



So what happens when kids don't have insurance?

They can die. From a bad tooth. Which abscesses. Spreading infection to the brain.

Horrific summary: the boy's brother had several abscessed teeth, the result of a dentist who "discontinued the treatments . . . after the boy squirmed too much in the chair." (Dude needs to lose his license.) It took a month after the abscesses started to find an oral surgeon who'd see the kid, two months to get a consultation, and another month and a half for the appointment. During which time the family's Medicaid lapsed, so they had to cancel the appointment.

Then Deamonte, in the picture, comes home with a headache, ends up in the hospital, has two brain surgeries, and dies after telling his mother to "make sure you pray before you go to sleep."

Poor children are more than twice as likely to have cavities as their more affluent peers, research shows, but far less likely to get treatment.

Serious and costly medical consequences are "not uncommon," said Norman Tinanoff, chief of pediatric dentistry at the University of Maryland Dental School in Baltimore. For instance, Deamonte's bill for two weeks at Children's alone was expected to be between $200,000 and $250,000. The federal government requires states to provide oral health services to children through Medicaid programs, but the shortage of dentists who will treat indigent patients remains a major barrier to care.


Because Medicaid doesn't pay them enough.

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SockPuppet

SockPuppet

I'm lost
July 2006

MAR 03, 2007 04:36 PM

ATATBOY said:
All around they have the tooth bus that goes to the poorer areas. NO thank you for Socialized medicine



Say what?

SockPuppet

SockPuppet

I'm lost
July 2006

MAR 03, 2007 04:38 PM

dem_z said:

Bitch_PhD said:
And blaming the mom for stuff like this is *exactly* why I get so hacked off about people blaming moms with problems for whatever happens to their kids when a lot of the problems people have would be a lot easier to address if there were some kind of functioning health care system--whether it's mental health, insurance, or help kicking a drug or alcohol habit.



I was going to post this in your blog, but you don't have one. tongue

Is there any reason you only refer to mothers, and not fathers, when you talk about single parent families? I'd agree that it's much more common for single-parent families to be mothers and children, not fathers and children.



I'm a single father with (a) child.

TheFox

TheFox

Durham, NC
February 2006

MAR 05, 2007 01:24 AM

SockPuppet said:

ATATBOY said:
All around they have the tooth bus that goes to the poorer areas. NO thank you for Socialized medicine



Say what?



I know at my elem school they checked our teeth once a year. Sometimes. They always said mine were great.

I ended up with 4 cavities... probably have more, now. I haven't been to a dentist since I had to get a molar pulled because the wisdom tooth behind it had dug into it, forming a cavity I couldn't see (but I could damn well feel!)

The only reason I still have all FIVE of my wisdom teeth (yup, I'm a freak with an extra tooth) is because I can't afford it. I have no insurance for that sort of thing, and won't until I graduate from college and get a steady teaching job. And, then, I'll only have insurance because I'll be a state employee and will have more access to benefits. (Dental will probably be extra...)

Poor people are prone to have problems because they can't afford the best diets or toothpastes or doctors or whatever the hell else, plus they are short on time and energy.

To those who say single mothers need to get jobs and insurance, fuck you. My mom raised me and my two sisters and busted her ASS to keep us clothed, fed, etc. She pushed education, but not so much health care... you only have time/money for so much. If she'd kept us healthy for the time we were with her, but we weren't able to get into college, where would that have put us? Our health care most likely would have ceased, leaving us both uneducated and uninsured.

And I'm surprised somebody hasn't started the "poor people should stop having kids" debate... which I partly agree with in the fact that you should not *try* to have kids when you can't afford it, but what about the people who *could* afford it when they got pregnant, and something happened (death, divorce, layoff, etc)... ? Or those who are raped or who are trying their best to prevent it and get pregnant, anyway?

It's a complicated issue. Don't treat it like a simple blame-game. I really hope some of you people never have children.

Joel_T

Joel_T

Springfield, IL
November 2006

MAR 05, 2007 04:18 PM

TheFox said:

SockPuppet said:

ATATBOY said:
All around they have the tooth bus that goes to the poorer areas. NO thank you for Socialized medicine



Say what?



I know at my elem school they checked our teeth once a year. Sometimes. They always said mine were great.

I ended up with 4 cavities... probably have more, now. I haven't been to a dentist since I had to get a molar pulled because the wisdom tooth behind it had dug into it, forming a cavity I couldn't see (but I could damn well feel!)

The only reason I still have all FIVE of my wisdom teeth (yup, I'm a freak with an extra tooth) is because I can't afford it. I have no insurance for that sort of thing, and won't until I graduate from college and get a steady teaching job. And, then, I'll only have insurance because I'll be a state employee and will have more access to benefits. (Dental will probably be extra...)

Poor people are prone to have problems because they can't afford the best diets or toothpastes or doctors or whatever the hell else, plus they are short on time and energy.

To those who say single mothers need to get jobs and insurance, fuck you. My mom raised me and my two sisters and busted her ASS to keep us clothed, fed, etc. She pushed education, but not so much health care... you only have time/money for so much. If she'd kept us healthy for the time we were with her, but we weren't able to get into college, where would that have put us? Our health care most likely would have ceased, leaving us both uneducated and uninsured.

And I'm surprised somebody hasn't started the "poor people should stop having kids" debate... which I partly agree with in the fact that you should not *try* to have kids when you can't afford it, but what about the people who *could* afford it when they got pregnant, and something happened (death, divorce, layoff, etc)... ? Or those who are raped or who are trying their best to prevent it and get pregnant, anyway?

It's a complicated issue. Don't treat it like a simple blame-game. I really hope some of you people never have children.



Don't feel bad, one of my ex-girlfriends had SIX wisdom teeth, we were together when she got them taken out, and of course they charged per tooth to have them extracted.

MessyJessy

MessyJessy

Fort Myers, FL
August 2005

MAR 06, 2007 07:16 PM

KMFCM said:

isn't that how the guy from God Lives Underwater died too??



yes...but sans the brain surgery...as far as i know...

Roaring_Tulips

roaring_tulips

Jacksonville, FL
April 2006

MAR 06, 2007 07:26 PM

My great grandfather died of something similar. His teeth were absolutely rotten. He got into a car accident which caused his rotten teeth to shatter and it actually poisoned his blood enough to kill him. Your dental health is just as important as everything else.



That poor kid.

MessyJessy

MessyJessy

Fort Myers, FL
August 2005

MAR 06, 2007 07:27 PM

Ultimately I feel the same way about this issue as I do any issue regarding children. Of course parents should be the ones responsible for making sure that their children wash their hands before dinner, practice proper manners, do their homework, and develop good oral hygiene habits. However, children should not suffer because of lax parenting. A child does not decide his or her parents should buy drugs instead of spending money on food. A child does not choose to grow up in poverty as a result of poor decision making. This child did not choose to die because his mother did not instill proper dental hygiene habits in him, this decision was made for him. So go ahead and use the bullshit cop out of parent blaming- to an extent you are correct. We as a society, however, have the responsibility to guarantee that EVERY child growing up has every available resource to ensure a healthy and productive life.

MessyJessy

MessyJessy

Fort Myers, FL
August 2005

MAR 06, 2007 07:38 PM

noxdice said:
The American Government doesn't care about you. Quite frankly neither do most affluent Americans. The last time this subject was breached and some of us tried to have a serious discussion about the possibility of standardized health care coverage for the whole of the U.S. at least half those who came on the board bitched that they weren't going to pay for some lazy jackass who doesn't have health coverage and just suggested that they "get off their ass and get a job". They all then came down on me for suggesting they have universal coverage like we Canadians do, telling me that the care I receive is inferior to theirs. I don't know anyone who can swallow a $250,000 debt without going bankrupt. I always find it amusing that people seem to think their health insurance companies are going to cover them if they get cancer or need multiple expensive sugeries. Any time the health system is set up for capatilist gain, the people will suffer. To the rest of the world, health care is like education. It is a fundamental responsibility of the government to provide for its citizens.
That is the reason things like this happen. Health care should be free. Your country spend over 200 billion dollars on war over the last couple of years and then has the arrogance to say it can't afford medical? Why aren't you all outraged? This I will never understand...



Very well said biggrin

timirevolting

timirevolting

Astoria, NY
December 2004

MAR 06, 2007 07:45 PM

PointBlank said:

timirevolting said:
Sorry to hear a death was the result. However, WHY are these people relying on medicaid to care for their illnesses? Get a job, get health benifits, or pay your own way when your ill. Have a nice day! smile



Not everyone can be a "working class chef" like you, winner.



Survival of the fittest! Thanx for the declaration of victory. I always WIN.

Cremon

Cremon

Marietta, GA
April 2003

MAR 06, 2007 08:12 PM

Cremon

Cremon

Marietta, GA
April 2003

MAR 06, 2007 08:19 PM

As a parent, this is extremely painful to read. No parent should EVER have to bury a child. My heart goes out to that family.

If we can't do socialized medicine (not the best practice, but not the worst) - how about having universal coverage for anyone under the age of 18? Children are our future. They are the future of this great nation. There ought to be at least basic coverage for anyone under the age of 18 that "fall through the cracks". There needs to be something to protect the minors. The people that can't legally own their destiny or understand the decisions required to affect their destiny.

If all else fails, you ought to have a catch-all route. I'd say set it up so that anyone can make use of it - and you fill out the paperwork later. If it's discovered the kid had insurance from a guardian AT THE TIME OF THE MALADY, have the "catch all" program run by Uncle Sam go after his insurance company with the same horny zeal that the IRS pursues some poor bastard behind on his taxes.

It can be done. The IRS has shown us that getting around the pundits' bitching about the cost of fraud is feasible. You can't blame the kids. No matter what the parents let them get away with... it's not the fault of the kid.

And no child is expendable. Period. That's not an argument anyone can make.

I don't buy it. frown

gavbass

gavbass

West Jordan, UT
July 2006

MAR 06, 2007 10:37 PM

TheFictionaut said:
Jesus.

Socialized medicine, anyone?



WHAT?!?!?! This is America...We don't use the term "Socialized" for ANYTHING!!!!
...Seriously though, it's stories such as these that show the need for a complete rehaul of health care in this country-it's very sad, because this could have been avoided....Every person should be entitled to complete health coverage-regardless of their financial situation-I'm all for the socialization of medicine. Health care is NOT a luxury-it's a necessity!!!!

Roaring_Tulips

roaring_tulips

Jacksonville, FL
April 2006

MAR 07, 2007 04:44 AM

timirevolting said:

PointBlank said:

timirevolting said:
Sorry to hear a death was the result. However, WHY are these people relying on medicaid to care for their illnesses? Get a job, get health benifits, or pay your own way when your ill. Have a nice day! smile



Not everyone can be a "working class chef" like you, winner.



Survival of the fittest! Thanx for the declaration of victory. I always WIN.



I really hope you're joking. It's comments like that that make me hate people again.

Libby

Libby

SUICIDEGIRL

I'm lost

MAR 07, 2007 01:25 PM

I haven't ever been to the dentist. Never could afford it. Still can't! The longer I wait the scarier and more embarrassing it becomes. I am going to go to a student program soon where I can get stuff done pretty cheap..... it's just gonna take all damn day.


That poor kid.

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