Congress will hold a hearing today about a very painful subject for many American families: children's dental health.

One in three American children lack dental insurance, and the consequences can be deadly.

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White House Opposes Hate Crime BillAfter Veto, Real Work Begins on Spending BillEdwards Comes Full Circle on IraqWhile people talk about the need for better health-care often, dental care is often overlooked. Though 8 million kids lack health care, three times as many -- more than 25 million -- don't have dental care.

For the poorest children who are on Medicaid, dental care can be difficult to find.

Deamonte Driver was a typical 12-year-old boy. He died from tooth decay.

"I am very angry that my son had to lose his life just because we didn't have insurance," Driver's mother, Alyce Driver, said.

It started with a toothache. Driver had never been to a dentist. Treated too late, the bacteria in his tooth spread to his brain. After two surgeries, doctors thought he was on the road to recovery, but they were wrong.

"He called me back around 12 and he said, 'Mom, make sure you pray before you go to bed.' That was his last words to me," Alyce Driver said. "My son had to die -- 12 years old -- because of a tooth."

Driver was entitled to dental coverage under Medicaid, but his struggling mother couldn't find a dentist to treat him even with the help of a lawyer.

"It should not take dozens of calls and dozens of hours to find a dentist for a child who has a tooth abscess," said Laurie Norris of the Public Justice Center.

ABC News went to Medicaid for answers.

"Well, the Medicaid program does in fact cover these services," said Leslie Norwalk, acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "It was a failure on many levels."

In 2000, the surgeon general reported that tooth decay was the most chronic ailment for children and that poor children were most at risk.

"I do think it is important that all of them get that kind of health care," Norwalk said. "What you want to do … is get to the Mrs. Drivers of the world far earlier on."

I think this is just terrible. If I had ever been without health insurance this may have happened to me. I have always had very weak teeth and a lot of cavities.

Yes I had very bad teeth as a child myself. In downtown seattle my kids had no problems finding a dentist on medicaid but when I moved to Bellevue just before I got on microsoft insurance which is Redcross/blueshield I coud not find anyone who would take medicaid. I suppose because it is a rich neighborhood.
They can't say the poor can't live here but they can make it way difficult for them to get help here.

in my area there are VERY few dentists who will take medicaid. there is ONE that i know of in a 50 mile radius who does.

OMG - Warrior. Do you just post ever random crap you come across on the internet? Who unbanned you?

I do not post random stuff from the internet I get most of my news from CNN. I am completely within my right to post news in the news forum. You have a problem with it take it up with the moderator but don't sit there and harass me. If you don't like what I post ignore the thread or ignore the user. It is really simple.

I do not post random stuff from the internet I get most of my news from CNN. I am completely within my right to post news in the news forum. You have a problem with it take it up with the moderator but don't sit there and harass me. If you don't like what I post ignore the thread or ignore the user. It is really simple.

I agree with your post, they have a choice... But some complain about you, because you don't post things that only tell how nice it is to live in the place they live, just like any Republican Forum, they only want the good comments about them, if you post something they don't like they erase it... If you post that this is like being in "Heaven", I bet they will start liking, even loving you... So, you need to understand their mentality... or else... (you'll be banned again)...

I agree with your post, they have a choice... But some complain about you, because you don't post things that only tell how nice it is to live in the place they live, just like any Republican Forum, they only want the good comments about them, if you post something they don't like they erase it... If you post that this is like being in "Heaven", I bet they will start liking, even loving you... So, you need to understand their mentality... or else... (you'll be banned again)...


What in the HELL are you talking about? This is anything but a Republican forum. You have Brooks, Trav, and a few other conservatives....most of us are liberal leaning.

That said - Warrior you really need to settle down. Youre just wasiting space with all these posts about stories that are pointless...and covers up the stories we're actually talking about.

I can't wait for you to get banned again...that is unless you calm down.

That said - Warrior you really need to settle down. Youre just wasiting space with all these posts about stories that are pointless...and covers up the stories we're actually talking about.

I can't wait for you to get banned again...that is unless you calm down.

Warrior IS a little prolific, but I find most of her threads more interesting, and suitable to the category, than those on "Rosie", "The View", or "Paris going to jail". That crap should be restricted to a gossip section, certainly not world news or politics.

Warrior IS a little prolific, but I find most of her threads more interesting, and suitable to the category, than those on "Rosie", "The View", or "Paris going to jail". That crap should be restricted to a gossip section, certainly not world news or politics.


Moderate,

Sadly - we live in a society where Rosie v. Trump is just more entertaining and really a hell a lot more enjoyable than a kid dying at the hands of his dentist.

The news is what is. Rosie, The View, and Paris actually make the news. I can't truthfully say that I've seen half the stuff she posts on the news.

I think a kid dying because he is from a poor family in this country is very important issue to discuss and something the republicans do not want to see. It is clear doctors and dentist discriminate against the poor because medicaid does not give them as much profit as regular insurance.
It is a very important post. NO child should be dying simply because thier parents are poor.
I have had a few discussions with the moderater and I find it unlikely that I will be banned again especially when I am doing nothing more than posting what is news in the news section.
So don't hold your breath that I will get banned any time soon!

Okay, it is terrible that the kid died of an abscessed tooth. Terrible and tragic.

On the other hand, what kind of a person waits until the kid is 12 and his face is falling off from the rot before seeking help.

Also, there is such a thing as dental floss and a toothbrush.

Medicaid does not give them as much profit as regular insurance.

Then it is the Insurance Companies or those in-charge of handling the Health Insurance (money) from employees who are to blame for the excessive payment they make to the Hospitals/Doctors. If with the power in their hands to force down the payments to doctors and hospitals, lets see what the greedy bastards can do, I am sure that a huge amount of the Hospital/Doctors income comes from the Insurance payments, so the Insurance companies instead of playing for the Hospitals/Doctors should play for us... And when the money going to those pockets start going down to a more fair level, then those Doctors will start taking Medicaid. You see, they don't need the Medicaid money, the Golden Hen for the Hospitals/Doctors is on the Insurance coffers filled up by our payments and the share paid by our employers...

Okay, it is terrible that the kid died of an abscessed tooth. Terrible and tragic.

On the other hand, what kind of a person waits until the kid is 12 and his face is falling off from the rot before seeking help.

Also, there is such a thing as dental floss and a toothbrush.

He only had a tooth ache when she tried to get him to a dentist. Any cavity can become absess within a matter of weeks depending on the level of bacteria. She tried for weeks to find a dentist that would take the medical coupon or medicaid and no one would take it. By the time she found someone who would take it the tooth had become absess.

Millions of kids every year get cavities and most brush daily. Not all of them become absess but some do. The situation here is a middle class family would be able to seek treatment right away for the tooth before it has a chance to become obsessed and the poor family could not.

Warrior, in the States, would an emergency room not give the kid the anti-biotics he needed? Here in Canada they would. Also our health care is free but dentists are not. However there is always one on call via the emergency room in most areas. From my experience with Americans, had she got the media involved there would have been 10 dentists in her area who would have volunteered to do the job for free.

I just think there is more involved here than what is stated. Just like the vegans with their starved baby. There is limited information leading to perhaps erroneous conclusions.

I am not sure if she took him to the hospital. I know he had surgery but still died because it was too late.
If she would gotten help earlier he would not have died. I do not think any doctor or dentist should be able to turn away someone with medicaid.

OMG - Warrior. Do you just post ever random crap you come across on the internet? Who unbanned you?

What are you talking about???

This is actually an interesting thread about a news story I wasn't aware of until now.

This was an unnecessary kneejerk reaction on your part, IMO.

. I do not think any doctor or dentist should be able to turn away someone with medicaid.

That is a good point.

If we agree that people's health, not profits, should be the primary focus of our Healthcare system, then it is not unreasonable whatsoever to make a law requiring doctors to treat a patient who has insurance. Then if you have a system of insurance of last resort, like Medicaid, you can cover every one of your citizens and nobody would have to die for reasons like this.

Also, there is such a thing as dental floss and a toothbrush.
I brush twice a day and floss, and I last time I went to the dentist I had about 13 cavities that I've now had filled. Two of them I almost had to have root canals. And I do go to the dentist every six months like I'm supposed to.