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The Washington Post recently ran a story about inequality in America with dental care a strong indication of how separate and unequal our country has become. The full article can be read here:
http://theweek.com/articles/701396/lets-talk-about-dental-inequality-america
I have identified three things that the middle class had in common beginning in the late 1950s and extending to the early 1970s:
1. The middle class ate meat every day...Prior to the late 1950-60s only the wealthy ate meat everyday.
2. The middle class sent their kids to college, also available to only the wealthy.
3. The middle class started going to the dentist on a regular basis in order to maintain their teeth. Prior to this, many folks lost their teeth by their late 20s and early 30s. This was primarily due to the fact that unions had obtained dental insurance for their members. People were tired of seeing their middle age parents take out their teeth and place them in a glass.
There is no doubt that going to the dentist on a regular basis can be a luxury for many that find it hard to pay their bills. My parents sent my sister and I to the dentist every six months and we always had our cavities filled.
So what has happened in the intervening 40-50 years?
1. Dental insurance which used to pay for 8 1/2 crowns every year doesn't even pay for one crown a year...Blame employers who don't care whether their employees have teeth or not.
2. The middle class became less interested in taking care of their teeth and more interested in having larger homes and more than 5 TVs in their homes.
3. Young adults wanted to spend their money on cell phones, cars and vacations.
None of this is a good thing. The middle class must value its health including their teeth. Pulling teeth in children's mouths is a sin.
What is the answer?
A good start is making the very wealthy pay federal taxes. Our President is not the only billionaire who didn't pay federal taxes for 20 years. Every working citizen should pay taxes so that we can help everyone afford a minimum level of dental care.
What do you think?
