Counterpoint: A plan to cover all Minnesotans

Counterpoint: A plan to cover all Minnesotans:

Minnesota is 98% fluoridated: "More than a million Minnesotans lack access to dental care. Last year, there were 22,000 emergency-room visits for dental problems. Untreated tooth decay can eventually develop into a painful tooth abscess. This leads to a trip to the ER, where patients get antibiotics to stop the infection and are told to see their dentist in the morning. Because they have no dentist, the costly cycle repeats itself, with taxpayers picking up the tab."

Hundreds attend free medical care event : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

Hundreds attend free medical care event : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News:

Denver Colorado is fluoridated:

"The demand for dental care is 'incredible,' said Julie Collett, a dental hygienist and executive director of Kids in Need of Dentistry, a local service agency working at the fair.

She said her group helped serve about 500 children and adults at another free health fair in August, also sponsored by Kaiser.

'We had to turn people away' at the August even, Collett said. She expects to treat hundreds of children and adults today."

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www.News10NBC.com - Tooth decay in children and toddlers

www.News10NBC.com - Tooth decay in children and toddlers:

Rochester, NY, is fluoridated: "Hundreds of local children are ending up in the operation room because of cavities that could have been prevented...The Eastman Dental Center sees more than 300 of these kinds of cases a year. In [fluoridated] Buffalo, 700 plus cases, and thousands state wide"

New York State is 73% fluoridated

Poor oral health Pursues Million Worldwide

Poor oral health Pursues Million Worldwide:


After over 60 years of water fluoridation, "In the United States alone, dental problems account for 164 million hours of missed work, 51 million hours of missed school, and 41 million days of work. Although dental caries is largely preventable, it remains the most common chronic disease of children aged 5 to 17 years - 5-times more common than asthma (59 percent versus 11 percent)."

Patients, dentists fear loss of Medicaid coverage | Rhode Island news | projo.com | The Providence Journal

Patients, dentists fear loss of Medicaid coverage | Rhode Island |:

Rhode Island is 85% fluoridated:

"Last year, 2,700 people on the state’s Medicaid plan were treated at this dental clinic in a former bank building on Main Street in Pawtucket where Fernandez showed up with an infected gum.

Here, dentistry is about survival. Decayed teeth, diseased gums and the legacy of poor dental hygiene are the norm. Many patients suffer from a lifetime of poor dental care, or none at all. Gum pain or tooth loss can make it difficult to eat. And infections in the mouth, left untreated, can kill.

In one exam room, a 56-year-old factory worker’s gums are so decayed that two of her teeth are loose. Across the hall, a 3-year-old girl’s first trip to the dentist reveals a mouth full of cavities."

The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports - News - Medicaid to pay dentists more�

The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports - News - Medicaid to pay dentists more�:

In West Virginia, one of the most heavily fluoridated states:

"It's especially difficult to find an oral surgeon who accepts Medicaid patients in Southern West Virginia where dental health problems are rampant, said Dr. Byron Black, who co-owns Mountain State Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons in Charleston.

'The southern part of the state is just not being served,' Black said. 'There's just not access.'

The state Dental Association also has suggested the Medicaid office reimburse dentists for additional services provided to infants and toddlers."

Wanted: A surgeon general who can cut to the chase on health - MarketWatch

Wanted: A surgeon general who can cut to the chase on health - MarketWatch:

After 60 years of fluoridation reaching 70% of the US population and over 50 years of fluoridated toothpaste, now 95% of the market, along with a glut of fluoridated dental products:

"The focus of the surgeons general has changed as profoundly as the times they lived in. In the early 1900s, much work was dedicated to fighting plague and promoting sanitation projects. A century later, childhood obesity, health disparities and oral health lead the priorities"

New Britain Offers Free Dental Treatment For Kids -- Courant.com

New Britain Offers Free Dental Treatment For Kids -- Courant.com:


In Connecticut, where fluoridation is state-mandated:

"'There's a huge problem with oral health in the state"