Welcome back to the show.
When it comes to our teeth, we usually think
two things:
One, we should take care of them by brushing
regularly, and two,
how terrifying it would be if pigeons had
them.
But of all the gooches and grundles that make
up our dirty bodies,
few play a more central role in our lives
than teeth.
We're even conditioned to base much of our
self-esteem on them.
The first thing people notice is our smile.
Maybe you don't put a nice smile on your checklist
for popularity, but it belongs there.
This is an all-American boy. The girls are
wild about him, until he smiles.
Sure, those chiclets "are" a problem.
But as a woman, I have to say that he'll do
okay with us because he is tall as fuck.
Sorry, short kings. But as important as our
teeth are,
they're barely an afterthought in America's
never-ending health-care disaster.
While more than 27 million Americans lack
general health insurance,
almost three times as many have no dental
coverage at all.
Even basic adult Medicare recipients are out
of luck,
because it has limited coverage of dental,
hearing, and vision.
Hence its slogan: ‘Eh, who needs a working
head?’
We often treat going to the dentist as a luxury,
which is crazy because dental care "is" health
care!
Gum disease is associated with gastrointestinal
problems, increased risk of cancer,
cardiovascular disease, and the medical diagnosis
stank mouth.
In addition to all the Americans who lack
dental insurance,
there are also those who have coverage but
can't get treatment.
Medicaid patients often have a hard time because
some states don't cover dental care,
while two-thirds of dentists won't even accept
the program's low reimbursement rates.
Which is terrible.
Because "everyone," regardless of their ability
to pay,
deserves to get buzzed on that awesome gas
at least once.
Is this real life?
You laugh, but David got hooked. Now he mules
nitrous oxide for a cartel.
Making matters worse, 51 million Americans
live in "dental deserts,"
low income areas that dentists avoid in favor
of wealthier neighborhoods where people have
insurance.
In their defense, the average dental-school
grad has to pay off three hundred thousand
dollars in debt,
plus the costs of office space, staff and
equipment.
Imagine owing all that money and still not
being a real doctor.
The lack of access to dentists is a big problem
for Americans.
Obviously dental care is not something you
should D-I-Y, as evidenced by this video.
That's not how you clean your teeth, that's
how a serial killer prepares for the hunt.
Dentistry's profit-driven business model also
creates a problem of ethics.
To boost revenue, some dentists are turning
to so-called "creative diagnosis."
I was hoping that meant my dentist would draw
me like one of his French girls,
but it actually means pushing unnecessary
treatments,
ranging from root canals and gum grafts to
expensive cosmetic procedures like teeth-bleaching,
veneers, and the always-glamorous third row
of teeth.
There's no easy way to fix all of the problems
in our dental-care system,
but one part of the solution is dental therapists.
I know the term dental therapist sounds like
someone who asks about your childhood
while their whole fist is in your mouth, but
actually dental therapists are medically-trained
professionals.
They do many of the same procedures as regular
dentists while often costing patients
less money and none of us have ever heard
of them before.
That seems like a problem. Dental therapists
are legal in only eleven states,
but even a Trump administration report acknowledges
they're a cost-effective
and safe way to bring dental care to people
who desperately need it.
And the good news is, absolutely no one is
fiercely opposed to them...right?
The American Dental Association is fiercely
opposed.
We don't understand why anyone would want
a lesser-trained individual dealing with these,
with that population.
If I'm poor and I have a toothache, you know,
half a dentist or 70% of a dentist is better
than zero.
Of course half a dentist is better than zero.
Unless it's the lower half.
Nobody wants their dentist's foot poking around
in their mouth, except probably Quentin Tarantino.
He loves them feet. The lobbying arm of "big
tooth" has spent millions to make sure
dentists' income isn't threatened by competition
from dental therapists.
That's money they could be spending on helping
patients, upgrading their equipment,
and finally getting rid of all their nine
year old the lobbying arm of "big tooth" has
spent
millions to make sure dentists' income isn't
threatened by competition from dental
therapists.
That's money they could be spending on helping
patients, upgrading their equipment,
and finally getting rid of all their nine
year old copies of highlights magazine.
Some shitty kid did all the word jumbles in
pen.
Dentists may fear dental therapists as much
as I fear drawings of teeth with their own
smaller teeth,
but that doesn't mean they're going to put
them out of work any more than nurse
practitioners put doctors out of work.
I promise you, America has enough messed-up
mouths to go around for everybody!
We just need to fix our health care system
so everyone can have access to affordable
treatment.
Because not all of us can rely on being tall.
Sorry again, short kings.
We'll be right back.
