Dental care for low-income families bad but getting better, say officials
Dental care for low-income families bad but getting better, say officials By NATHANIEL WEST, Staff Writernwest@jg-tc.com NEOGA — Austin Shupe displayed the blond hair, blue eyes and soft features common among 2-year-olds.Only his smile contradicted his age: Austin’s grin bore a closer resemblance to the sneer of an octagenarian chain smoker with an intolerance for toothpaste.Instead of a gleaming top row of petit incisors, the front of the toddler’s mouth offered a fetid mass of blackened tissue protruding through shards of teeth — schrapnel from Austin’s collision with a metal swingset in early June.For almost three weeks — practically an eternity to Austin’s parents, Kyle and Rebecca Shupe of Neoga — the young boy lived on liquified foods while his mother tried desperately to find a dentist to remove the shattered bits of teeth lodged in her son’s infected gums.
'“It seemed like nobody wanted to take us because of the (state) medical card,” said Rebecca, who called more than 40 area dentists.“It’s crazy.”The Shupes, who get by on about $1,000 per month, aren’t alone in their frustration. There is little disagreement among area dentists, state officials and advocacy groups that access to dental care for low-income families, while improving, remains dismal.Advocacy groups decry a lack of dental care providers; dentists blame problems associated with state medical programs such All Kids; and state officials say they are trying to improve the availability of dental care, slowly but surely.Illinois “has made significant progress in recruiting and retaining dentists; expanding access to dental services for families in our healthcare programs; and promoting preventative dental care for children,” said Teresa Kurtenbach, spokeswoman for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.In the interim, it’s been like pulling teeth for families such as the Shupes to locate a dentist — especially in an emergency.Rebecca Shupe, who is disabled, finally found a local dentist who agreed to take Austin’s case at no charge. On June 20, the little boy was placed under general anesthesia at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Effingham, and the chunks of pulverized teeth finally were liberated from his gums — 18 days after the ordeal began.
NYSCOF wrote on Jun 30, 2007 6:49 AM:
" Dentists Partied for Fluoridation While Children Suffered With Dental Pain In 2005, in Chicago, limousines delivered dignitaries to a large white tent, ringed with yellow-shirted security guards, where dentists and others, on government payrolls, kicked off a four-day 60th birthday party for water fluoridation replete with ice sculptures, free duffle bags filled with goodies, food and specially made fluoridated bottled water, on July 13, 2005, in Chicago's Millennium Park, hosted by the American Dental Association (ADA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), reports the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation (NYSCOF). Attendees came, from many states and 7 foreign countries, for continuing education credits, to learn political fluoridation strategy and/or for a free trip to Chicago. Some just came to see the Cubs game. It's curious that dentists can find time to celebrate fluoridation which they claim helps the poor; but can't find time to actually fill children's teeth. Dentists first had to pass through protesters handing out a timely Washington Post article entitled, "Professor at Harvard Is Being Investigated -- Fluoride-Cancer Link May Have Been Hidden," published on July 13, 2005.(1) Despite sixty years of fluoridation delivered to 2/3 of Americans via their water supply and 100% via the food supply, the U.S. Surgeon General declared tooth decay a national epidemic in 2000. "Fluoridation is hardly anything to celebrate, " says lawyer Paul Beeber, NYSCOF President. "Time and money spent celebrating fluoridation for four days, including out-of-towners hotel and other expenses, could have actually filled many cavities in Chicago's poor," says Beeber NYSCOF joined the Fluoride Action Network's protest to educate Chicago residents, legislators and fluoridation party-goers that fluoridation is ineffective, harmful and a waste of money. Chicago, fluoridated since 1956, in Illinois where fluoridation is state-mandated, has a serious dental health problem. Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn said, "Dental disease in Illinois students has reached epidemic proportions," because few dentists take Medicaid or KidsCare payments. (2) Only one fourth of Chicago dentists accept patients covered by government-funded insurance because payment is too low. According to the Illinois Public Health Department, 38% of 6 to 8-year- olds and 30% of 15-year-olds live with untreated tooth decay. Despite fluoridation, 33% of 3-year-olds have cavities.(3) These figures were updated in 2007 and show that 50% of English-only speaking Illinois third graders have tooth decay compared to 70% of Spanish-only speaking Illinois third graders. Obviously, fluoridation is no benefit to minorities. On July 14, 2005, while the ADA celebrated fluoridation as a cavity remedy for the poor, the ADA also lobbied in Washington against Dental Health Aide Therapists (DHATs) -- a viable solution for the dentist-neglected poor.(4) Finally, the ADA sued the DHAT's to stop; but a court decision handed down in June 2007 declared DHAT's a legal and viable solution to the oral health crisis. The ADA, instead of protecting its lucrative monopoly, could have filled thousands of cavities with the legal fees that failed lawsuit cost. DHAT's drill, fill and pull rotted teeth in people and places where dentists won't go. DHAT'S, with advanced dental hygienist degrees, work successfully in many countries. Studies show their work is as efficient but less costly then dentists'. "We believe the ADA's main priority is to protect dentist-members lucrative monopoly," says Beeber. "And fluoridation campaigns provide organized dentistry with political viability to get more perks for dentists from our legislators. Fluoridation does not help the poor." Eighty percent of dentists refuse Medicaid patients.(5) References: http://tinyurl.com/6kqtu "
'“It seemed like nobody wanted to take us because of the (state) medical card,” said Rebecca, who called more than 40 area dentists.“It’s crazy.”The Shupes, who get by on about $1,000 per month, aren’t alone in their frustration. There is little disagreement among area dentists, state officials and advocacy groups that access to dental care for low-income families, while improving, remains dismal.Advocacy groups decry a lack of dental care providers; dentists blame problems associated with state medical programs such All Kids; and state officials say they are trying to improve the availability of dental care, slowly but surely.Illinois “has made significant progress in recruiting and retaining dentists; expanding access to dental services for families in our healthcare programs; and promoting preventative dental care for children,” said Teresa Kurtenbach, spokeswoman for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.In the interim, it’s been like pulling teeth for families such as the Shupes to locate a dentist — especially in an emergency.Rebecca Shupe, who is disabled, finally found a local dentist who agreed to take Austin’s case at no charge. On June 20, the little boy was placed under general anesthesia at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Effingham, and the chunks of pulverized teeth finally were liberated from his gums — 18 days after the ordeal began.
NYSCOF wrote on Jun 30, 2007 6:49 AM:
" Dentists Partied for Fluoridation While Children Suffered With Dental Pain In 2005, in Chicago, limousines delivered dignitaries to a large white tent, ringed with yellow-shirted security guards, where dentists and others, on government payrolls, kicked off a four-day 60th birthday party for water fluoridation replete with ice sculptures, free duffle bags filled with goodies, food and specially made fluoridated bottled water, on July 13, 2005, in Chicago's Millennium Park, hosted by the American Dental Association (ADA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), reports the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation (NYSCOF). Attendees came, from many states and 7 foreign countries, for continuing education credits, to learn political fluoridation strategy and/or for a free trip to Chicago. Some just came to see the Cubs game. It's curious that dentists can find time to celebrate fluoridation which they claim helps the poor; but can't find time to actually fill children's teeth. Dentists first had to pass through protesters handing out a timely Washington Post article entitled, "Professor at Harvard Is Being Investigated -- Fluoride-Cancer Link May Have Been Hidden," published on July 13, 2005.(1) Despite sixty years of fluoridation delivered to 2/3 of Americans via their water supply and 100% via the food supply, the U.S. Surgeon General declared tooth decay a national epidemic in 2000. "Fluoridation is hardly anything to celebrate, " says lawyer Paul Beeber, NYSCOF President. "Time and money spent celebrating fluoridation for four days, including out-of-towners hotel and other expenses, could have actually filled many cavities in Chicago's poor," says Beeber NYSCOF joined the Fluoride Action Network's protest to educate Chicago residents, legislators and fluoridation party-goers that fluoridation is ineffective, harmful and a waste of money. Chicago, fluoridated since 1956, in Illinois where fluoridation is state-mandated, has a serious dental health problem. Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn said, "Dental disease in Illinois students has reached epidemic proportions," because few dentists take Medicaid or KidsCare payments. (2) Only one fourth of Chicago dentists accept patients covered by government-funded insurance because payment is too low. According to the Illinois Public Health Department, 38% of 6 to 8-year- olds and 30% of 15-year-olds live with untreated tooth decay. Despite fluoridation, 33% of 3-year-olds have cavities.(3) These figures were updated in 2007 and show that 50% of English-only speaking Illinois third graders have tooth decay compared to 70% of Spanish-only speaking Illinois third graders. Obviously, fluoridation is no benefit to minorities. On July 14, 2005, while the ADA celebrated fluoridation as a cavity remedy for the poor, the ADA also lobbied in Washington against Dental Health Aide Therapists (DHATs) -- a viable solution for the dentist-neglected poor.(4) Finally, the ADA sued the DHAT's to stop; but a court decision handed down in June 2007 declared DHAT's a legal and viable solution to the oral health crisis. The ADA, instead of protecting its lucrative monopoly, could have filled thousands of cavities with the legal fees that failed lawsuit cost. DHAT's drill, fill and pull rotted teeth in people and places where dentists won't go. DHAT'S, with advanced dental hygienist degrees, work successfully in many countries. Studies show their work is as efficient but less costly then dentists'. "We believe the ADA's main priority is to protect dentist-members lucrative monopoly," says Beeber. "And fluoridation campaigns provide organized dentistry with political viability to get more perks for dentists from our legislators. Fluoridation does not help the poor." Eighty percent of dentists refuse Medicaid patients.(5) References: http://tinyurl.com/6kqtu "
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