Lack of dental care can cause many problems. Besides painful teeth and gums, little or no dental care can cause heart disease, stomach problems and a myriad of other problems. So it is not just a pretty smile that is at stake when it comes to lacking dental care. Unfortunately, dental care is not like other types of care in the United States. Even if there is a true emergency, if it involves the teeth or the gums, a person will not and cannot be seen, unless they can pay up front for the care. The person could be turned away, even if they have an abscessed tooth, which is a very painful infection, which can travel to the heart and be potentially deadly.
There are some clinics where people have low or no income and they can receive low cost or free dental care, but these places are few and far between and they are definitely not widely advertised. These clinics can only handle some types of dental problems, so if the problem involves major oral surgery, a patient may only be able to get some of the care they need. There is always the option of using insurance, but most insurance companies have lacking dental benefits, that can still leave you with large bills. If you are on Medicaid or Medicare, you may be out of luck, since many dentists simply refuse to take it, and these plans only pay 30% of the bill. If you are in need of dental care, and are low on funds, a clinic that provides low cost or free dental care might be a good place for you to look into. Just be sure to go in before you have a problem, if that is an option for you. It is better to maintain a healthy smile, that to try to get one back.
