Could I Have Died Too?
Boy dies of a tooth infection.
A good chunk of my medical posts last year were about fixing my teeth. I’ve had really poor dental health over my lifetime. I’m ashamed to admit this. But I am proud I overcame my fears and made fixing my teeth a priority. I’ve still got a long way to go, but at least I’ve stemmed the tide and it’s changing direction.
What makes me really sad about this story is that his death was entirely preventable. I had perfectly reasonable dental healthcare till I left for college. I didn’t see a dentist for 4 years. And then I worked a string of jobs where I couldn’t afford a dentist or didn’t have dental coverage. Eventually, you get scared of going because you know it’s not going to be a happy visit.
What drove me finally to take care of it? After three years of having dental insurance, but living in terror, I finally went because I was eating Tylenol like candy from a toothache. Pounding, horrible, headaches. I had an infection of the gums that was reaching into my nasal cavity. (Purposeful choice of word there.)
It’s criminal that this boy wasn’t able to get dental healthcare with other Medicaid coverage. What is wrong with us as a nation that someone dies of a tooth abscess?
As an adult I made my own choice out of fear and strained finances to skip the dentist. I fully accept the consequences, and nothing you can say will hurt more than those headaches or the hours in the dental chair. But in simple terms, $80 tooth extraction vs $250K hospital stay, resulting in death. You tell me what the price of a life is.
[Feeling a little angry about the world right now. Injustice everywhere, but on a personal and private level. (No, not directed at me.) Anyone one know a good lawyer in VA who specializes in employment law? Please email me directly. Thanks!]
Anonymous wrote:
This post just made me cry, after I followed the link to the story. I can’t believe I’m leaving a comment b/c it’s so embarrassing to admit my problem, but at least I’m doing it under the cloak of anonymity so maybe it will be okay. By all outward appearances I am a “normal” young woman. I am attractive, have a great family, job, social life, etc., but a battle wages inside my mouth. Back when I was a teenager I suffered from bulimia and w/out going into major details, suffice it to say that through the years a few of my teeth eroded from the acidity of the vomit, etc. As a result I am now missing four teeth. Two on the bottom, and two near the back of my mouth. I can hide them well, I swear to you that no one knows. Not even my boyfriend of a year and a half. I am so ashamed. I never got around to fixing this dilemma b/c it gets easier as the years go by to learn to “deal with it” and I didn’t always have the financial means to do so. It really sucks. I can’t have a bellyaching laugh without covering my mouth for fear of being “found out.” Through the years I have learned to smile strategically so no one is the wiser. I am getting tired of living this way, and even though I have dental insurance I am afraid of two things. One, that the price to fix my mouth will be so exorbitant that I won’t be able to pay it off. I’m not sure if dentists allow payment plans. I’m also afraid to summon up the courage to approach a dentist and say “Hi, I haven’t been to a dentist in 15 years, but can you please fix my teeth?” I’m fearful that he/she will laugh at me or become repulsed. I need to fix this, though. Because I fear that my someday my health might become compromised as a result of my teeth. I also hope to be married one day and cannot imagine trying to smile strategically on what will be the happiest day of my life.
Thank you for allowing me to share, MapGirl.
Posted on 28-Feb-07 at 1:22 pm | Permalink
mapgirl wrote:
Dear Anonymous: Usually I don’t like anonymous comments, but I totally understand why you want to keep your name private.
Let me assure you, you’re better off seeing a dentist so you don’t lose the rest of your teeth. You want to keep as many of them as you can for as long as you can.
I will admit, that the dental assistant at my dentist was very disapproving at first, but she has helped me get really good care and navigate my dental insurance. I almost didn’t go back at first because I didn’t think she was very nice or understanding. In the end though, she’s helped me just as much as the dentist.
I always laughed with my hand over my mouth and passed it off as a Hello Kitty-girl kind of cultural gesture learned from my mom. But ever since I had my first dental cleaning, I’ve smiled a lot more at everyone. It wasn’t easy. There was so much pain the first attempt that we cancelled and scheduled a longer appointment so I could be shot up with novocaine and make it through the cleaning.
Getting it dealt with, even just the small stuff will help. I know I went with a really expensive option by having a titanium implant with ceramic crown, but there are less expensive options. (Like bridges you pop out and clean, kind of a like dentures but much smaller.)
Go see someone and have a panoramic x-ray done at least so you know what has to be done and don’t forget to floss. A little flossing goes a long way. Any reasonable dentist will be able to give you accurate estimate of the charges you will incur. Mine did.
I wish you a lot of luck. Please email me at any time if you need support facing your worries.
Posted on 28-Feb-07 at 1:40 pm | Permalink
coldwhiteguy wrote:
just a note, I discovered about thirty years ago that dental schools provide excellent care at remarkably good prices. I’ve had work done by students at Univ. of Maryland, Univ. of Colorado, Penn State, and UCLA. All the students did a great job. They were friendly and highly motivated, and I’d recomend them all to anyone. The appointments do take time, generally an entire afternoon for each one, but they are cheap, and very informative if you care to ask alot of questions along the way.
Posted on 28-Feb-07 at 4:05 pm | Permalink
mapgirl wrote:
ColdWhiteGuy - Thanks for the recommendation. Dental schools are great. I know SIU has one near St. Louis. But keep in mind a lot of dental schools are closing. Northwestern has lost theirs. (Family member went there which is how I found this out.) Seems like dentistry isn’t what it used to be as a profession. Perhaps this is all a sign of the times when it comes to access to any and all healthcare when it comes to supply and demand?
Posted on 28-Feb-07 at 5:21 pm | Permalink
Wanda wrote:
Your post sent me promptly to the bathroom where I proceeded to brush my teeth vigorously for 5 minutes.
My mom always gets on me to take care of my teeth and, as always, Mom is right.
I will also be carrying floss with me everywhere.
Posted on 28-Feb-07 at 5:39 pm | Permalink
philskaren wrote:
haha. I also just got the urge to fanatically brush away. on a more serious note, thanks for the article and personal story mapgirl and anonymous.
Posted on 28-Feb-07 at 6:29 pm | Permalink
plonkee wrote:
Hmmm, I’m a bit worried it could have been me too. I couldn’t afford to get my two problem teeth properly fixed until I graduated 3 years after they became a problem. £1000 is not money that you can come up with easily.
To me, in a truly civilised society things like this wouldn’t happen due to lack of money. I fear that even with free dental care for all kids here in England, it can easily still happen as dentists are not exactly queuing up to take on NHS cases.
Posted on 01-Mar-07 at 1:16 pm | Permalink
Bob wrote:
A couple comments.
First, in response to your original post. I refuse to believe that the boy couldn’t get dental healthcare. I know, without a doubt, that if this woman had come to my dentist with this boy he would have extracted the tooth and worried about payment later. Dentists are medical doctors and are both ethically and legally obligated to help when the can. It’s impossible to know the whole situation, and I’m not placing blame on anyone, but I don’t believe this is a good example of failures in our healthcare system.
Second, in response to Anonymous Girl. I would strongly recommend you shop around and maybe call different dentists. I believe many would be glad to work on a pay-as-you-go plan as long as you are upfront about the situation. Depending on the plan, dental insurance can be a bit of a scam. Don’t limit yourself to a certain dentist based solely on your insurance coverage.
Posted on 01-Mar-07 at 3:42 pm | Permalink
Anonymous wrote:
This is Anonymous Girl, the OP. I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for responding to me and offering advice, and not judging me. I am going to get my butt in gear and start checking my options for getting my teeth fixed. It’s long overdue and I’m sure there’s a kind dentist or two out there who will work with me to reach my goal of a healthy smile and I will post a picture of me grinning ear to ear when that happens
Have a great weekend, all!
Posted on 02-Mar-07 at 3:02 pm | Permalink