Post APRPR57AH3PMCqtJFA by jeanettehmarsh@mastodon.nz
 (DIR) More posts by jeanettehmarsh@mastodon.nz
 (DIR) Post #APRMyndzR5OU0PdCWu by strypey@mastodon.nzoss.nz
       2022-11-09T21:59:56Z
       
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       How transformative would it be if every NZ citizen got one free dental check-up a year? Not only would this help thousands of lower-income kiwis avoid crippling pain and keep our teeth longer, I'm pretty sure dentists would prefer to do more prevention and less extraction. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...
       
 (DIR) Post #APRPR57AH3PMCqtJFA by jeanettehmarsh@mastodon.nz
       2022-11-09T22:27:27Z
       
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       @strypey Especially when an infection in your mouth can affect your heart. I was also warned before my back surgery that it can (rarely) travel to other wound sites. Something about an unusually rich blood supply to the gums, my dentist said
       
 (DIR) Post #APRQilAVGvL9VkRjI8 by sophie@cloudisland.nz
       2022-11-09T22:41:49Z
       
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       @strypey it should be so much more than that but yes, it would be a huge change to the health of this country. It would also mean a source of money for more dentists so better availability in areas with not enough dental care.
       
 (DIR) Post #APRQraVKI40x2jOaBs by mr_sterile@mastodon.nz
       2022-11-09T22:43:25Z
       
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       Totally transformative! - tho I remember some years ago hearing that some local[WGTN] dentists wanted to return to the not-in-use dental practice in the inner city for homeless. The only treatment available WAS extraction - I heard that dentists in the richer suburbs hardly extracted at all due to income of the clients. Preventative care wasn't on offer for those at the hardest hit end of the economy@strypey
       
 (DIR) Post #APRT84XGbOtcj1I7Sy by jet@cloudisland.nz
       2022-11-09T23:08:49Z
       
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       @strypey @chopsstephens I was thinking about this at the dentist yesterday. I went through successful radio and chemotherapy last year and I think spent less than $100 on direct medical costs all to do with prescriptions. I saw hospital dentist 3x, all covered.Contrast: $330 for dentist yesterday. She raised two possible concerns, remedies would each be about $700. The problems likely relate to radio but not covered at all. If any other part of my body, would be.
       
 (DIR) Post #APS4zLgjNOT360SFH6 by jet@cloudisland.nz
       2022-11-09T23:11:31Z
       
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       @strypey @chopsstephens I know it’s not specifically on the topic of a free check up, but my last point is the thing that shows up the inequity of it. Why are particular bits of the body treated differently, as a blanket rule? Make it about seriousness or whatever if you must (through the point on prevention stands) but the current approach is so arbitrary.
       
 (DIR) Post #APS4zMP2idufJRBdLM by chopsstephens@mastodon.nzoss.nz
       2022-11-10T00:16:40Z
       
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       @jet @strypey my take is that it's because our political and pundit classes are not ready to have proper conversations about cost/benefit analysis or about fairness. Keeping dental out of medical care keeps direct costs down; never mind the downstream costs to society.
       
 (DIR) Post #APS4zMuwo1QwuO774a by chopsstephens@mastodon.nzoss.nz
       2022-11-10T00:16:48Z
       
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       @jet @strypey I think the historical split of medical care to ACC and public health is informative. There's two tiers of healthcare in this country depending on whether your health problem is an "accident" or not. I read somewhere I cannot find now about how when it was first established, ACC was deliberately limited to accidents as a cost control measure. So now we have this stupid system, regardless of the costs to society and the fairness of it.
       
 (DIR) Post #APS4zNLtBqz6Fwid4C by jet@cloudisland.nz
       2022-11-10T01:08:00Z
       
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       @chopsstephens @strypey yeah that particular unfairness sucks a lot. Born with a thing? No financial support. Similar condition through “accident”? Financial support. 🎲
       
 (DIR) Post #APS4zNoFUPfZftzHGq by strypey@mastodon.nzoss.nz
       2022-11-10T06:13:00Z
       
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       @jet@chopsstephens All good points. But I've heard some horror stories of people trying to access that support from ACC :/ Regarding stuff you're born with, I'm hoping the new disability ministry and the plan to roll out Enabling Good Lives nationwide will help with some of this stuff. For example, I've been following the news about people's struggles to get diagnoses and medications for ADHD. I'm one of those people and I'm hoping the new ministry can do something.