ALEX HOBEN
editor-in-chief
alexandra.hoben@my.tccd.edu
Equating beauty with health has caused irreparable damage to the dentistry and health care system.
In the great country of America, everyone is allowed equal opportunity to make something of themselves, or so we’ve been led to believe. In reality, it’s not that easy.
Living in this country is like being put in a race where some of the cars are top of the line chargers, and others are Craigslist cars where the only thing holding together the engine is a pack of duct tape and a prayer. If you don’t have the money to afford a good life, then you’re already out of the race. This extends to all aspects of living from groceries, to clothes and even to something as basic as health care.
Not only is the most basic of treatments exponentially high but even those that aren’t even that obvious as health care are crazily priced. One main example of this is dentistry. Dentistry is an essential aspect of one’s personal health and hygiene, and yet it has been turned into an industry driven by price rather than accessibility.
Dentistry is seen as a cosmetic commodity, and this has made it so it’s borderline unattainable for those in lower socioeconomic classes. The kicker is this. The longer you can’t afford the restorative or healing procedures needed for your teeth, the higher your bill will become in the long run.
As soon as you fall off the wagon, you’re toast. If you came from a family that was in a lower income bracket and didn’t have adequate insurance to regularly take care of your dentistry, you are going to be the one paying for it later – which is completely ridiculous.
Dentistry is incredibly important for maintaining one’s health and well-being. There is no worse pain than a toothache, and yet it is one of the most costly things to fix. When did dentistry turn from the health aspect to the aesthetic? Why are there giant Mint Dentistry billboards trying to make teeth sexy?
And why do I have a feeling that they charge based on that qualification rather than the fact that these are medical procedures aimed at improving one’s health?
The grip that the aesthetics department has on the dentistry and the health care field in general is incredibly disheartening to see. Instead of prioritizing the health and well-being of others, we have a system determined to squeeze the money out of you by holding your procedures up on a high string.
Going to a dental office when a lot of work is needed to restore your teeth is like receiving a receipt of your worth. It could be three pages with line after line of prices that are more than $100.
The discouragement that someone can feel from this could make them question whether or not they should even care about their health or quality of life if it’s going to cost them a fortune to maintain it.
Cosmetology puts a price on aesthetics which makes sense because it’s adding on to the beauty that’s already there. But dentistry isn’t aesthetics, it’s health care and treating the sometimes sick and injured, and it’s about time the prices start to reflect that.
