Why millions of Americans end up in the ER for dental issues

🦷 Hesy-Ra, a scribe who lived during the Third Dynasty of ancient Egypt (roughly 2,700 BCE), is thought to be the earliest known dentist.
Issue #80: writing tips inspired by Kendrick Lamar, Japan’s National Living Treasures program, and why boredom isn’t so bad
By Carly Rose Gillis

After months of trying to sort through the bureaucratic red tape of dental insurance and Medicaid to deal with a broken tooth, one writer on Medium shares how she finally got an appointment with an oral surgeon, only to end up making a terribly difficult choice: Getting the tooth pulled rather than continue trying to deal with her insurance company.

Her story illustrates something increasingly common — even with insurance, reliable access to dental care is still a huge challenge for many people in the U.S. Every year, millions of Americans end up in the ER for preventable dental issues. So why isn’t comprehensive dental coverage included in general health insurance for anyone?

There are a lot of reasons, starting with the historic division between the professions of medicine and dentistry that dates back to the 1800s, when dental care was provided by hairdressers — you’d typically visit your barber to pull a tooth and get a shave at the same time. Trained doctors didn’t see dentistry as legitimate, and kept it out of the general medical system covered by health insurance (even though we now know how bacteria can enter the body through dental injuries and lead to serious and deadly medical issues). There’s also the general approach of dental insurance, which prioritizes low cost, predictable, preventative care instead of the unpredictable, catastrophic coverage of general medical insurance.

Things are hopefully changing. A policy change last month will allow states to add adult dental coverage to their Afforable Care Act plans, and last week, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation that would expand Medicare and Medicaid to include comprehensive dental coverage.

What else we’re reading

• Jackie Bernhelm, former Google executive and current CEO of LocalBy, explains how Japan’s National Living Treasures program helps honor and sustain highly specialized craftsmanship (think ceramics, textiles, or metalsmithing) in the country. Only 58 people at any given time can be designated as National Living Treasures in their fields, and become so after competing in a comprehensive system of exhibitions that can take decades. She notes there’s a lot here for other countries to learn from the program: “What might the state of US craft look like if these talented artists received the same support as their peers in Japan?”
• In “The Secret Writing Tips I Learned From Kendrick Lamar,” writer Leila Renee lusciously recounts the heartbreak of rejection she faced when she moved to New York City in her early 20s to pursue a writing career, and the parallel lessons she learned from Lamar as she listened to his music during that time. Lamar is a master editor, knowing how to keep his stories lean, yet packed with meaning — and when he leaves the listener wanting more, it’s all part of his plan. “Kendrick’s cutting the volume on a verse was not some ill-conceived decision. It was a bold artistic declaration: just because something is done well, doesn’t mean it needs to be overdone.”

Your daily dose of practical wisdom: on embracing boredom

It turns out boredom is good: It not only activates a process in the brain that triggers unexpected solutions and creative thinking, but being mindful about why you are bored can also guide you toward new tasks that challenge or inspire you.

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Edited and produced by Scott Lamb & Harris Sockel

Questions, feedback, or story suggestions? Email us: tips@medium.com