Hillbilly Teeth
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| Wed, 05-06-2009 - 10:51am |
Went for a cleaning at the dentist on Monday.........
It's been a little over a year since I've gone. No excuse but I am working 2 jobs and have two little kids and my DH and I have opposite schedules. It's hard to make time for ME but I have learned a valuable lesson from that.
LONG story short but I need 3 crowns and I have 3 cavities. Sigh. The dentist said some of my fillings were cracking - probably b/c some of them are 10-15 years old and have been refilled more than once. This causes cracking over time.
According to the receptionist - we have good insurance and for all work to be done it will be about $1,000 out of pocket. I guess that's good considering all that will be done but that hurts my pocketbook.
My MIL just paid off DH's car so we DO have the money. (or will have it soon.) BUT like a fool I just paid $268 for stupid concert tickets and could have used that money too.
Either way, I will do one crown & one filling in July, one crown and one filling in Oct/Nov and one crown and the last filling in Jan/Feb 2010.
I edited this to apologize for any offense caused to anyone.

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All of the hillbillies in my home have healthy teeth. I don't mind being called a hillbilly, as I live in Appalachia, but for you to categorize your teeth as 'hillbilly teeth' implies that we have no concern for our teeth or access to good dental care and that could not be further from the truth.
I am sorry for your condition as I would not wish poor dental health on anyone, but please remember that your words impart your beliefs, especially in a written public forum, and I would hate for others to see you as a demeaning person, when in truth, you probably are not. Thank you for your consideration and best of luck to you in your debt reduction pursuits.
Karen
A southerner by birth (FL) and a hillbilly by choice (WV)
I never once stated that anyone from any state was a "hillbilly." I didn't mean to cause any offense to anyone. You catorgorized yourself - not me. How are you allowed to be a "hillbilly" by choice by I can't make fun of myself in the same way?
I didn't mean to cause you any offense and I would take the message back if I could. This is a public forum and I didn't see any personal harm in MY posting. Apology accepted I hope. If not, Please do have a great day anyway.
"Nearly 43 percent of West Virginia seniors over 65 have lost their teeth and more than one-third of all adults in West Virginia have lost six or more teeth due to poor dental care. This is nearly twice the national average – and a totally preventable statistic".
These are words from your own Senator. Original article attached for your reading pleasure.
http://rockefeller.senate.gov/press/record_article.cfm?id=294947&&
I believe the OP has no intention to be disrespect of anyone, and I am glad you and your family have good teeth, but statistically WV does lack behind many other states in dental health and access to healthcare.
Another bit of trivia:
http://www.statemaster.com/graph/hea_ora_hea_los_of_nat_tee-health-oral-loss-natural-teeth
For the record, I have nothing against West Virginia, only like to see claims backed up with facts ...
edited to provide statistical data
Edited 5/6/2009 12:52 pm ET by marie_1229
My Aunt avoided the dentist for ten years and now has $10,000 dental work needed. Her teeth don't look bad, but a lot of sensitivity and I think she needs a root canal, etc. EEEEEEK!!
-Kels
I can see why this
Norma
"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus
I always respect your wonderful and down-to-earth attitude, and I am not going to be cynical in this posting (uncharacteristic, yes, I know).
While I am slightly irritated by someone's over-reaction to the original posting (with a tone that struck me one laughing at herself), sometimes there are truth to certain stereotypes. Until everyone recognizes there is a problem (without emotional overload), it is unlikely a working solution will surface.
Back when I was playing with the "food stamp diet", there were a lot of discussions about low-income people eating the wrong kind of food, high obesity rate (and I mean medically obese, completed with high cholesterol and blood pressure, not merely an aesthetic concern), etc. One of the challenges some of the health agencies face is getting people to recognize there is a problem. I know nutritionists trying to explain certain ways of eating can help control the weight and diabetes, help children learn better in school, but the people they work with came up with replies such as "We like our girls/women with more meat on". (OK, don't flame me here, this IS a direct quote). Or "We like our traditional food. I feel healthy, why change"?
The health status and access to healthcare are indeed more problematic in certain states than in others. It is not limited to the Appalachians; Mississippi and Louisiana also score very low in health. And the problem will not go away if one puts his or her head in the sand and denies it - it would not bring change. I just wish people would be less sensitive about an innocuous joke and put their energy in making improvements. Why is it so difficult to admit, "OK, our community has bad XYZ. This is not right. How could we make it better"?
One of my own pet peeves is nutrition (and one of my degrees is health related). I have known to give rides to people in my neighborhood so that they can shop at a proper grocery store instead of getting overpriced junk at the convenient store. I wish I could do more, but even so, it beats making proclamations on the Internet saying that it is far from the truth that there are unhealthy people in my community.
You cannot ignore/deny health issues, whether they are personal or they affect an entire community, and hope that they will go away.
I know this is slightly off-topic, at the same time, being that we spent SO much on healthcare and very often receive so little (and/or poor services), and it affects our finance in such a major way, let's put our head together and do whatever we could to make everyone healthier. It could be as simple as helping a puzzled person at the produce section and sharing your favorite veggie recipe. Baby steps.
Edited 5/6/2009 2:20 pm ET by marie_1229
Oh, Beeps...
I went five years between cleanings once.
I don't live in the mountains of Kentucky but I do live by the river (Louisville) and I see nothing wrong with being called a hillbilly. My teeth have been decaying for years and had to be pulled capped and bridged and are still falling out.
Don't pay attention to what "mom" said I don't get offended by someone saying I have hillbilly teeth.
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