Little shop of horrors I think it's safe to say that most dentists aren't going to win any popularity contests. I know at least a handful of people who absolutely dread going in even for a routine cleaning and check up. And at least a couple of those people have even gone so far as to ignore their toothaches in order to avoid the dreaded drill. The consequences of ignoring a toothache, though, can be more serious than you'd imagine. Not only can it lead to a root canal (which, my own dentist assures me, is far more unpleasant than having a cavity filled). But leaving a dental abscess untreated can literally kill you. That's what happened earlier this year to a young boy in Maryland who was unable to undergo treatment due to the sea of red tape surrounding the Medicaid dental coverage he was supposed to be receiving. The boy complained of a toothache, but his mother was already in the process of trying to find dental care for one of his siblings. Seeing the frustrating situation she was already in, the boy likely kept the majority of his complaints to himself. Then in January, he came home from school and told his mother he had a headache. She took him to a local medical center where doctors gave him medications for a headache and sinusitis. While they didn't immediately connect it to the boy's headache, doctors at the medical center also discovered his abscessed tooth and gave him medication for that as well. The next day, though, the boy's condition was worse. He was rushed to the hospital where he underwent emergency brain surgery: The bacteria that had caused the dental abscess had spread to his brain. He made it through surgery and even appeared to be on the road to recovery when, two weeks later, he suddenly became unresponsive and died. I suppose that since it happened nearly a year ago, this story might qualify as "old news." But if you hadn't heard about it, it's time you did. And if you had, it certainly bears repeating since it continues to be tragic on multiple levels -- not the least of which is that this boy didn't have a choice as to whether or not he got a regular dental checkup, which could have ultimately prevented the disastrous outcome. But I would venture a guess that most of you DO have that choice. And when you consider that keeping up with regular dental care could very well save your life, it becomes a rather easy one to make. If it's been more than a year since your last dental exam, I urge you to pick up the phone as soon as you're finished reading this message and take the next appointment your dentist has available. At the very least, your teeth will be cleaner for it. Source:
"For want of a dentist," The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com), 2/28/07 | 
