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Ironically a tooth extraction is one of the cheapest and least complex surgeries that someone could perform. The non insured price is something like $70-200 dol

Ironically a tooth extraction is one of the cheapest and least complex surgeries that someone could perform. The non insured price is something like $70-200 dollars, and many charities perform them at no cost to the consumer. There are people that even extract their own teeth. Now obviously nobody wants to deal with this pain, it can be a damaging and horrific procedure with some long term complications. But it's cheap and will save your life if your tooth is truly in danger. The real issue is that licensing and tuition for dentists is too restrictive. In Asia, many dental procedures are cheap and are done by unlicensed professionals. If I couldn't afford anything but an unlicensed dentist, I'd still give it a shot.

taxicabjesus 8y ago
> The real issue is that licensing and tuition for dentists is too restrictive. The guilds have designed professions that pay well. Over-education is not required for most of their tasks, so the grunt work is passed off to inexpensive hygienists/nurse practitioners/etc. The Arizona legislature has been considering allowing dental hygienists (er, "therapists") to work independent of their DDS overlords, but the dentists have been fighting back: https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/health/2017/01/23/push-for-dental-therapy-in-arizona-stalls-amid-legislative-resistance/96836364/ https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/health/2017/0...
- anoncoward111 8y ago
  Right, the dentists have been fighting back because they would rather see people die of infections than let a low cost provider jeopardize their salary. Physically sickening.
pasbesoin 8y ago
I had a Canadian friend who had two extractions while a student, because she couldn't afford two crowns. In my opinion, "universal healthcare" needs to include non-cosmetic dental care. You can debate the cosmetic part, but non-cosmetic care is the means of preventing so many more significant problems, and not just dental problems (links to coronary health/illness, etc., etc.).
- anoncoward111 8y ago
  I think it should be included too. We simply need more dentists for it to be cheaper and more accessible. Unfortunately, my opinion is that the government and regulatory bodies are preventing more people from becoming dentists. You have to pay a ton of tuition and get a license to become a dentist. This takes time and money. It is quite literally a barrier to entry. I am really sorry to hear about your friend. I paid for a root canal and then ran out of money for the crown. So now it's just sitting there :)
  - pasbesoin 8y ago
    Ugh. I'm sorry to read that. Your comment reminds me of the limit maintained on the number of slots available for medical doctor education, in the U.S. -- so I've read, repeatedly. Further, how all the risk and tuition is placed on the student. Which in turn plays a significant role in driving graduates away from fields that are understaffed, such as general and family care.

taxicabjesus 8y ago

> The real issue is that licensing and tuition for dentists is too restrictive. The guilds have designed professions that pay well. Over-education is not required for most of their tasks, so the grunt work is passed off to inexpensive hygienists/nurse practitioners/etc. The Arizona legislature has been considering allowing dental hygienists (er, "therapists") to work independent of their DDS overlords, but the dentists have been fighting back: https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/health/2017/01/23/push-for-dental-therapy-in-arizona-stalls-amid-legislative-resistance/96836364/ https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/health/2017/0...

anoncoward111 8y ago
Right, the dentists have been fighting back because they would rather see people die of infections than let a low cost provider jeopardize their salary. Physically sickening.

pasbesoin 8y ago

I had a Canadian friend who had two extractions while a student, because she couldn't afford two crowns. In my opinion, "universal healthcare" needs to include non-cosmetic dental care. You can debate the cosmetic part, but non-cosmetic care is the means of preventing so many more significant problems, and not just dental problems (links to coronary health/illness, etc., etc.).

anoncoward111 8y ago
I think it should be included too. We simply need more dentists for it to be cheaper and more accessible. Unfortunately, my opinion is that the government and regulatory bodies are preventing more people from becoming dentists. You have to pay a ton of tuition and get a license to become a dentist. This takes time and money. It is quite literally a barrier to entry. I am really sorry to hear about your friend. I paid for a root canal and then ran out of money for the crown. So now it's just sitting there :)
- pasbesoin 8y ago
  Ugh. I'm sorry to read that. Your comment reminds me of the limit maintained on the number of slots available for medical doctor education, in the U.S. -- so I've read, repeatedly. Further, how all the risk and tuition is placed on the student. Which in turn plays a significant role in driving graduates away from fields that are understaffed, such as general and family care.