To the Editor: As a dentist, I am proud to see my colleagues helping those who need care at the Remote Area Medical event
in Inglewood, Calif. But what about the thousands of other people who aren’t able to travel and stand in line for care Volunteer events are not a long-term solution to improving access to oral health care. Charity is not a system of care. Many people &151 particularly children &151 who seek care at volunteer events like RAM, Missions of Mercy or Give Kids a Smile, held every year at hundreds of locations nationwide, are eligible for care through Medicaid. While Congress ruminates about health care reform, legislators could take steps now to improve access to oral health care by financing Medicaid to its full potential. Michigan and other states that have improved dental Medicaid financing and cut back on bureaucratic red tape have seen a rise in both the number of participating doctors and the number of patients who receive care. John S. Findley
Chicago, Aug.
17, 2009 A Bloggingheads debate on whether the government can help prevent children from getting fat.
Co-vocabularists are invited to devise chronological prescriptions for contentment.