Dentist Finder San Diego

Many states (like California) have cut dental Medicaid benefits in order to save money. The loss of dental coverage is a great loss for those in need of dental treatment. Unfortunately, lawmakers (and most other people) fail to see oral health as a life and death necessity. Just this month, a case involving a Michigan woman shows us all that oral health problems can kill, especially if not taken care of appropriately.

This Michigan woman with severe periodontitis died October 8^th after her untreated oral infection spread to her blood, leading to her death. The woman was scheduled to have her teeth extracted earlier this year, but had to postpone the surgery because of another illness. By the time the patient was well enough for the treatment, the state had cut the Medicaid program so she was no longer eligible.

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm eliminated adult dental benefits July 1 through the state’s Medicaid program by executive order. The cut was projected to save the state $5 million from the 2010 budget.

This case illustrates the perception that oral health does not matter and our teeth are somehow separate from the rest of our body. If this woman had an infection anywhere else in her body, the state would have paid for her treatment, but because it was in her month it was not considered a health issue.