Dental services are coming back for California's low-income adults

San Jose Mercury ^ | 02/15/2014 | Daniela Hernandrez

[artichokegrower]

Jennifer Guintini was 23 when her teeth started falling out.

A habit of sipping on Mountain Dew all day -- and later, a seven-year addiction to methamphetamine -- caused her teeth to rot away. "Any time I ate or drank anything, it would be a stabbing pain," recalled Guintini, an unemployed gas station worker.

[artichokegrower]

"Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance." - Nancy Pelosi

I guess you could be an artist, photographer or meth addict and have working folks like me subsidize your health care. What a wonderful country.

[RightGeek]

We’re paying for her Mountain Dew and drugs too.

[catnipman]

SWEET! “Free” dental care for meth-heads! Courtesy of the few remaining taxpayers in the state, particularly the ones who can’t afford to pay for their OWN dental care (because they’re paying for “free” dental care for meth-heads)!

[Rusty0604]

“Jennifer Guintini was 23 when her teeth started falling out.”

That’s all I had to read and I knew there was a 99% chance she was a meth addict.

[Cementjungle]

Virtually every health plan available to me requires me to pay for children’s dental (even though I don’t have children who would be covered) AND doesn’t have any dental for myself.

[fedupjohn]

That Damn Mountain Dew will get you every time. Sarcasm on

[dljordan]

“an unemployed gas station worker”

If she’s unemployed then she’s not a worker is she?

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

<< an unemployed gas station worker >>
Huh? You can be “unemployed” or you can be a “worker,” but you can’t be both.

[steve86]

As the article points out, there aren’t enough providers to service very many of these people anyway. So it isn’t going to end up costing taxpayers all that much.

[tet68]

Jen, I got news for you, it wasn’t the Mountain Dew.

[hal ogen]

Hey, jen...how about taking some personal responsibility for the consequences of your bad decisions?

[LostInBayport]

That Damn Mountain Dew will get you every time. Sarcasm on

Amazing how the writer listed the soda pop first and then the seven years of meth as an "oh, and this too". Deep down those batbleep crazy libs probably despise soda more than meth.

[depressed in 06]

...a seven-year addiction to methamphetamine...

Well, don't do that!

[2banana]

But yet plenty of money to buy meth for 7 years...

Without insurance or the means to pay, she was never able to find a dentist near her Eureka home willing and able to treat her.

[B4Ranch]

What do I get for not abusing my body with meth, bad food and sugary soda for decades, oh I get to pay for those who do to get all fixed up.

[toothfairy86]

With people who have rampant decay from meth mouth or Mountain Dew mouth, the teeth don’t really fall out. They break off at the gumline. The root of the tooth is usually still in the jawbone, and that is what gets infected. Unless she quits these addictions, the most economically feasible way to treat her is to have the root tips extracted and full dentures made.

[Graybeard58]

Article: A habit of sipping on Mountain Dew all day -- and later, a seven-year addiction to methamphetamine -- caused her teeth to rot away.

Yep, it's that old mountain dew at fault here, no doubt. Liberal solution, tax the hell out of it and leave the poor womnan alone about that recreational meth she uses.

[Graybeard58]

What do I get for not abusing my body with meth, bad food and sugary soda for decades, oh I get to pay for those who do to get all fixed up.

There, you have it. It's exactly like that free pony I've always wanted. I learned a long time ago, that people like you and me are not the recipents of free ponies but the providers of free ponies to others.

[OldPossum]

From the article: Her dentist told her Medi-Cal would only pay to have it pulled, so she opted to keep the tooth. It rotted and eventually it had to be pulled anyway, she said.

She couldn't take care of even one tooth? Damn.

[Redcloak]

Wow... I saw the title and was gonna make some snide remark about meth mouth coverage. I see that the author beat me to it.