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Agenda 2024: Healthcare next step? Dental coverage for all! [1]

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Date: 2023-10-14  

Please consider the following:

*77 million Americans lack dental coverage.

*47% of Americans aged 30 and older have some form of periodontal disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

*Major health conditions related to oral health include heart disease, diabetes, stroke and breast cancer.

*The following states have the worst dental health:

Texas

Mississippi

Louisiana

West Virginia

Arkansas

*In West Virginia, 47.9% of residents over 65 have lost all of their teeth!

*The average middle-aged American has 6 to 10 fillings.

*Many border state Americans travel to Mexico or Costa Rica for lower cost dental work.

*Denmark has the best overall dental health in the world.

So, shouldn’t Democrats make expanding dental coverage a major campaign issue for 2024?

Just think of the inroads that could be made in the Red States with such poor dental health!

To get to Medicare for all, we could benefit from a test case, to prove to Americans the value of increasing medical care, to relieve fears of increased socialization.

Why not start with dental care? I believe the need is urgent and that this issue will hit home for very many Americans, of all stripes.

Thanks for reading!

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/10/14/2199365/-Agenda-2024-Healthcare-next-step-Dental-coverage-for-all?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

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