Personal Narrative : My Tooth Fell Out !

Oral health has a direct impact on the general health, hence, it is important that all Canadians have adequate access to dental care services. Over the years successive Governments have reduced financial support to programs delivering dental care to most vulnerable populations. As a result, many low income families and other vulnerable groups have been unable to access dental care. There is further escalation in the disparities in oral health care among Canadians, as the number of Canadians losing dental care benefits continues to increase. Also, higher oral health care costs can be expected in the near future due to shortage of health care professionals.

As mentioned in the article, many students weren’t even aware that people went to the dentist and the doctor’s office for annual check-ups. 97% of the students interviewed stated that they never went to the doctor and in fact, one of students mentions that he didn’t know that there were doctors outside of the emergency room(). Many witnessed sickness, and early deaths due to lack of medical attention and the few that were able to go the emergency room, had difficulty affording medication. Some students stated that prescriptions like antibiotics were often shared by family members due to the lack of resources to buy their own medication ().

In elementary school, one of my favorite days in grade school would be when my mom came in for her oral hygiene lessons. Even though my mom could have easily demonstrated proper techniques on how to brush and floss teeth with a dental model for my classes, she knew how excited I would always get when she called on me to personally demonstrate. I would brush in confidence those tooth surfaces, at a 45 degree angle and with small circular strokes. Promptly in the lesson, I would put the toothbrush vertically for those inside surfaces of my front teeth. My mom would end the brushing technique with a friendly reminder to brush for a full two minutes, twice a day. She also told the kids to think of triangles and to floss along the mesial and distal surfaces of their teeth, rather than straight down and cutting their gums. With every upcoming yearly demonstration, I honed that routine of mine, ensuring to my classmates the best way to keep the plague out. Even to this day, I have still got my middle school sketchbook in my desk drawer, where I had illustrated the cover as, “Dr. Pham, DDS”. Starting in my high school summer, I had my first shot to assist my parents with what I have always known to be as, “The Office.” In the day-to-day, I strove to follow my dad’s office procedures. Imagine, my young, impressionable self holding onto the large suction and water syringe as a patient’s wisdom were extracted; gums cut, that red blood flowing throughout the procedure.

The authors have properly addressed the health disparities in this article. They started the article by telling the audience why Hispanic faces health disparities the most. First, due to the language barrier they have insufficient knowledge of oral health. Most the people who participated in this study were immigrants, Spanish. Only 2/3 of the people spoke and understood little to no English. Second, because of the poverty they have can’t afford dental health and avoid going to see the dentist. ¾ of the parents received an income of $2,000 or under per month. Third, many of the families did not have any type of dental insurance.

While most of the patients I interacted with were seeking non-dental care, I met patients who were seeking care to health conditions that stem from their oral health such as oral abscesses, which our team was unable to treat except for prescribing antibiotics or painkillers. I encountered similar situations when I shadowed physicians in the emergency room of hospitals, observing a variety of craniofacial disorders originating from a preventable tooth decay. From these observations, I learned that patients often did not receive treatment that addressed the root of their problems: their oral health. As the result, I learned that many physicians saw the same patient repeatedly for problems that would otherwise be easily prevented through proper preventive dental care. Determining to address the unmet needs for accessible preventive dental care, I decided to pursue a career in dentistry so that I can provide a positive and meaningful impact to the underserved community on their oral health and ultimately their overall

In the course of my time volunteering at the UCSD Student-Run Free Dental Clinics, I came to understand how poverty, language barriers, and a lack of knowledge about the importance of dental care can lead to readily preventable and treatable dental problems. These dental problems can lead to a cascade of issues, preventing an individual’s progress. As a clinic volunteer inside the school’s dental clinic, I noticed young students, with poor dental care, have constant pain that affected their studies and attitude. I recall a Hispanic young boy telling me he was sharing a toothbrush with his family. I hand over multiple toothbrushes and, using Spanish cards, educate him on oral hygiene. With each treatment visit, he was eager to tell the dentist

Many low income areas have dental therapists as part of their local dental team. Many people in these areas have never been to a dentist or do not go every six months as recommended this poses many other health problems. There has been case studies and data showing that in these areas dental health

Health care has been an issue for the United States of America for multiple years. Dental care, a topic that does not get much attention because people believe it is trivial, plays a major part in people’s lives, particularly children. Gerard van Honthorst’s The Tooth Puller shows a dentist pulling a patient’s tooth with five observers watching. Van Honthorst shows how in awe or scared people are of the dentist. There is a negative outlook on dentists and dental care: people are afraid of the dentist giving them their negative connotation, while dental care only causes pain in many people eyes. There is a problem in the health care system and improvement in the system is needed because health care is a right for every citizen, especially dental care. The United States of America’s government should allow dental therapist to conduct the procedure that normal dentist conduct for free for children under the age of twelve. The government should fund the teaching, training, and employment of dental therapists to care for underserved people.

Over 130 million Americans do not have dental insurance. On top of that, almost a million emergency room visits last year resulted from preventable oral conditions. Many Americans today are unaware of how the condition of their dentition affects their overall health. Socioeconomic limitations, the lack of dental education in parents, eating habits, and simply the availability of dentists plays a key role in the state of children’s oral health; implementing a universal dental care program will help lower the barriers that many people face when it comes to receiving the dental care they need. The program will target high-risk individuals who are prone to dental caries and provide them with standard

Over 130 million Americans do not have dental insurance. On top of that, almost a million emergency room visits last year resulted from preventable oral conditions. Many Americans today are unaware of how the condition of their dentition affects their overall health. Socioeconomic limitations, the lack of dental education in parents, eating habits, and simply the availability of dentists plays a key role in the state of children’s oral health; implementing a universal dental care program will help lower the barriers that many people face when it comes to receiving the dental care they need. The program will target high-risk individuals who are prone to dental caries and provide them with standard treatment.

Oral health care is an integral part of the US healthcare system. In 2012, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced “The Comprehensive Dental Reform Act”, which aimed on expanding dental coverage, accessible oral health care centers, increase in dental workforce, enhanced dental education and encourage dental research. (Congress.gov). The ACA, aim to curb the national health spending, by facilitating the affordability to quality care through private and public health insurance. The purpose of this bill is to cut the healthcare costs and to reverse the “silent epidemic” of dental health status (surgeon gen). This dental bill with an integrated approach towards the preventive and comprehensive oral healthcare is estimated to provide coverage to almost 17.7 million adults. (ADA

While the private sector provides excellent quality of oral health care for its patients, many vulnerable groups have difficulty with access.2 It is also these vulnerable groups who demonstrate extremely high levels of oral health disease. According to a 2014 report issued by the Canadian Academy of Health Services (CAHS), the following represent Canada’s most vulnerable groups: individuals with low incomes; younger age children living in low-income families; individuals working without dental insurance; elderly populations with low incomes and/or living in institutions; aboriginal people, immigrants/refugees; people with disabilities; and, populations living in rural/remote communities.2 The CAHS authors report that increasingly and in light of challenging economic times, families from lower-middle income strata are also demonstrating difficulty with accessing oral health care (this is partially attributable to an increasing tendency toward part-time employment rather than full-time employment with benefits).

The state of dental care for Native Americans is appalling. Native Americans are faced with oral ailments at a ridiculously disproportionate rate compared to other ethnic or cultural groups, and have limited access to adequate care. Despite the valiant efforts of sovereign tribal governments, the obstacles that they face are difficult to overcome alone. Reform is necessary; and must be accomplished as soon as possible, so dental care can be provided to thousands of people in need.

Serving an underserved population has always been my motivation to become a dentist. Throughout my life I have excelled in crafts and am exceptionally talented with my hands. As a result, it has continually been my dream to be in a profession where I could use my hands to change a person’s life by easing their pain or helping them smile again. Being given the opportunity to finally achieve this would be invaluable. I truly want to make a positive difference in this world. This desire has provided me the grit to overcome adversity and withstand the challenges I have faced while applying to dental school. Since helping people is something that I am extremely passionate about, I have had numerous wonderful volunteer experiences throughout the

Although many Americans have good oral hygiene due to fluoride and making everyday good decisions, others do not have any access at all to oral health care. Over the years, dentists have been trying to demonstrate the importance of oral care. (“Access to Dental Care”) From commercials to campaigns, dentists will continue to demonstrate to their patients as well as to the people who don't have insurance the importance of oral health care. They will teach them preventative care and some techniques on how to prevent from getting any diseases.