Dental Insurance for Individuals in Prison – Health Care Costs Grow in Meth Mouth Quandary
State penal institutions are facing higher oral treatment costs as methamphetamine use escalates. Prisons typically do not have dental insurance for individuals, but rather operate under public oral health care funded by the state. Inmates usually do not qualify for insurance, so public funding must bear the financial load.
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine use has spread throughout America, affecting thousands of individuals. In addition to attacking the central nervous system, a curious side effect of the highly abused illegal drug shows up in the teeth and gums. Termed "meth mouth" because it is caused by heavy methamphetamine use, this fast-spreading disease has baffled dentists in its unusually quick advancement. It is not due to any acidic or corrosive nature of the drug, as some individuals may believe. It is actually believed to be caused by a combination of side effects of the substance abuse:
1. Xerostomia, or dry mouth, prevents saliva from washing away cavity-causing debris, especially around the gum line. Saliva also contains enzymes that kill bacteria, so if that is reduced, the gums and teeth are more susceptible to bacterial infection.
2. Bruxism, or tooth clenching and grinding, can wear down the enamel, and decay can more easily enter the tooth pulp through the cracks.
3. Lack of Oral Hygiene, a trend in heavy substance abusers. The drug may even cause them to fall asleep with their mouth open for days at a time.
State Budgets
The cost of treating the severe effects is straining state prisons as they accommodate more and more meth users. Institutional health care budgets are having to lean more and more toward emergency oral care, leaving less funding for other medical issues. Private insurance for individuals generally does not include prisoners, so prisons and taxpayers have had to shoulder a growing portion of the cost.
With dental insurance for individuals essentially out of the question, growing methamphetamine abuse has caused a chain reaction that could affect the wallets of taxpayers around the nation and potentially lead to a shortage of oral health care in state institutions.
For more info about cheap dental insurance for meth mouth, see this article. If you need a dental insurance plan, Susan Braden invites you to visit www.1Dental.com, where you can join 7 million patients saving 20-60% off at 65,000 dentists. 1Dental offers the #1 dental plan starting at $6.95/mo.
<!–
