Monday, April 21, 2008

Filling a gap in Bay State dental care - The Boston Globe

Filling a gap in Bay State dental care - The Boston Globe:

"IMAGINE walking into a dentist's office with a severe toothache and being told by the dentist that there is good news and bad news. The good news is that because you are poor, you qualify for free dental care from the state in the state's Medicaid program, MassHealth. The bad news is that your dentist won't be able to treat your toothache because he or she only takes patients who have private insurance or who can pay out-of-pocket.

Unfortunately, this is not the exception but the norm in the delivery of oral healthcare in Massachusetts. Of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, 69 do not have a single dentist. Of the communities with dentists, 30 percent don't have enough to care for all the people who live there."

Instead of filling cavities, dentists in Massachusetts would rather fill your water with fluoride.