How much do you all love not having dental insurance and putting up with a rotten front tooth because you don't want a gap tooth smile?

I live somewhere with public healthcare. Except for dentistry because of politics between the doctors' and the dentists' organisations back in the 1960's. If you're really lucky and can prove to the council that you're poor enough they might grant you enough money to have an infected tooth pulled out but that's the amount of dentistry available to those of us who cannot afford thousands of dollars in dentistry bills.

Dentistry is one of my greatest fears. It is always there looming in the background.

you cant let the state cover the luxury bones! if they do that, why, poor people might have better teeth and then how would we tell them apart from the real people?
- The reason given from politicians for excluding that one part of the body from universal healthcare is:
  
  It's too expensive! We can't afford it! It would cost a billion gazillion to do it! (They then proceed to buy a deathstar from US arms dealers in order to show Putler who has the biggest dick)
  
  We would rather target spending directly at those who need it most (they then go on to doing fuckall to improve dental health for the poor)
  
  But we would have to take that money from other parts of the healthcare system! (No they wouldn't, they just don't want to tax the rich, cut the military or run a deficit)
  
  You poors should be ashamed of yourself for not brushing your teeth! Ashamed I say! (Because these c*nts can't help themselves letting their mouths run over with the class hatred boiling in their hearts)

I'm probably going to Mexico to get the rest of my wisdom teeth and a rotten molar pulled because even with a plane ticket and hotel I'd be saving around two grand for what is maybe a hour long procedure.

Smdwrh (smd worm riddled head) even rfk jr has to go to out of country to get teeth pulled for more room for worm real estate. Damn this country, you've got my vote to fix this!

I didn't have dental insurance until earlier this year and now I am finally able to go to the dentist after 20 years of neglect. Found out I have periodontal disease and my teeth will rot out if I don't get them cleaned every 3-6 months. Also had 3 fillings, 2 deep gum cleanings, and need to get a root canal as well as my wisdom teeth removed, a broken tooth that has been causing a 6 year long abscess, braces, and probably gum grafts to replace the receding gums. I've had to chew on one side for years because of broken/bad teeth. My teeth are so bad I've never smiled in front of anyone since I was a child.

Wild that this shit is considered a luxury.

I had state insurance, it included dental, but only essential things, apparently wanting to keep my teeth is cosmetic. My front tooth broke, they put some kind of cap but it needed a crown, insurance didn't cover it, so now I'm missing one of my two front incisors. I had teeth in the back that could be fixed with good insurance but they only covered the removal. It's annoying to eat most stuff because I have essential teeth missing but that's what I deserve according to glorious USA. That's what I get for being born with low calcium and no enamel and being poor.

and of course, a lot of this could've been stopped long before it got so bad, had you been able to go to the dentist once or twice a year... i'm watching people my age spend ridiculous amounts on fixing their teeth (even with costs being nowhere near US levels) beacuse they (or their parents) neglected them when they were younger...

My partner has dental insurance but it only covers some things some of the time, so she is now thousands of dollars in debt because she had a crown break. Thats with insurance.

Glad the shareholders are happy though good for them.

The opposite side of that coin is HAVING employer dental insurance but nobody that you use accepts it or the procedure is considered "cosmetic" and can't be used.

or it's not covered because it exceeds your annual cap.

Dental insurance covers barely anything other than routine cleaning, tooth pulls, and maybe cavities. Its a fucking joke that dental care isn't fully part of normal health insurance. However our normal health insurance fucking sucks too.