I'm surprised they haven't figured out a way for the govt to teach dental hygiene in the public schools.
Or maybe they do, but they teach it as well as they teach the other subjects.
No, but food stamps will buy soft drinks...
There's an underlying premise in here somewhere that dental hygiene is a good thing, and is equally practiced by everyone. (Just as taking care of one's self through exercise, a reasonably good diet, regular visits to one's doctor, and avoidance of dangerous activities.) There's another underlying premise that people will invest in their health and hygiene--before anything else--at least to the extent that they can afford it.
Far too many people however, don't know about dental hygiene, and certainly don't know about flossing, and brushing twice daily. If some government agency hasn't instructed them, and provided them with government-issued floss, they sure as heck aren't going to buy it or use it. Government-issued floss is probably more likely to be used as a garrote, than it would for cleaning between your teeth.
But to my point, I think you could find dentists available (or their hygienists), who could routinely offer one teeth cleaning per year, for under $100. But, just as people won't spring for a $4 anti-biotic at Walmart, or a $9 birth control prescription at Target, "because prescriptions cost too damn much!" they also surely wouldn't pay out of pocket for a oral hygiene visit.
Sadly, this 12 year-old was dead long before his brain infection, because his parent just assumed that government would eventually pick up the tab.
When I was in grade school (decades ago), they used to teach dental hygiene as part of health class. I expect it's probably been replaced by teaching kids how to put condoms on cucumbers or some such silliness.