this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2023
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Wow, what a game changer this would be for so many people. I wonder how accessible it will be to the people who are most likely to need it?
Most new things are not at all accessible to impoverished people (we saw this with covid vaccine inequality) and they are the ones most likely to have tooth loss due to lack of access to dental care.
I was shocked to learn that dental sealant exists. This simple procedure is very effective in preventing cavities, so once a kid has adult teeth they'll be protected into their 20s.
Yet, many people don't know to ask for this and can't afford the upfront cost (about $40 per tooth). Yet, unless your kid has fewer than 3 cavities as a teen it is the most cost effective and wellness promoting option.
It's wild to me this isn't a heavily subsidized and promoted procedure, but I guess dental care =/= healthcare...
I know what you mean. I'm always amazed no one ever told me about preventive dentistry, and some people I tell seem to view it with suspicion.
Worse, where I live the dentists you see as a poor person usually push extraction as a cost-effective option when something goes wrong. But it can cause issues with chewing (the other teeth can move), and bone loss in the jaw.