Although oral health is central to overall health, tens of thousands of Vermonters do not have access to preventive or routine dental care. The Vermont Oral Health Care for All Coalition is working to build a statewide consumer voice and raise public awareness of the need for better access to affordable dental care.
One important way to bring attention to the unmet oral health care needs of Vermonters is to hear from Vermonters themselves. If you have gone without dental care, we need to hear from you! To learn more about how the Coalition is working to get Vermonters the care they need, please see our agenda.
In 2009, more than 62,000 Vermonters – both insured and uninsured – reporting not getting dental care because they could not afford it.
Unaffordable CareMy name is Christina Houston. I am 22 years old and I have not had dental coverage for 4 years. My dental problems started young when my baby teeth would not fall out. Therefore my dentist pulled one of my teeth. Since then all teeth have been moving and spacing out, a year later when the tooth which was supposed to drop after removing my baby tooth did not I was referred to an orthodontist but not treated due to lack of funding (state wouldn’t help fund because teeth were not bad enough). I had my wisdom teeth out at 16, and still receive pain. During my 2 years in the army they deemed 3 of my molars unfit for training” and removed them. I have a missing filling in my front tooth and no money to replace it. I haven’t had a cleaning in 9 years, and it is becoming harder and harder to keep my teeth healthy due to larger and ever expanding gaps. My gums bleed every time I brush or floss.…