When will we see effort to address unaffordable dental care?

[Indy Texas]

I've never understood why dental and vision care are separated from the rest of health care. Does the rest of the world treat them as exceptions? And at what point will my health insurance treat something like an infected tooth?

There's no such thing as a dental "emergency." Tooth problems happen slowly over months and years. There's no dental equivalent to a heart attack or cancer.

It's pretty much all preventive care - regular cleanings and x-rays. That would be like expecting your car insurance to pay for your oil change. You know you have to do it.

[Indy Texas]

I don't have dental insurance. It makes no sense for me to buy it to have two cleanings done per year. I've never had a cavity in my life. And my neanderthal-sized jawbones have allowed me to keep my wisdom teeth without any problems.

Beyond that, pretty much all dental problems are caused by people who never learned how to take care of their teeth when they were growing up. Not brushing/flossing regularly. Smoking cigarettes. Eating as much processed sugar-coated stuff as possible. And if you ask them about the horrendous state of their teeth, they'll say something to the effect of "I got soft teeth - they run in muh family."