Posted on 07/22/2005 5:35:03 AM PDT by mlc9852
STANTON, Ky. - With a silvery Airstream trailer as a dental office, Dr. Jeff Bailey goes about his work, brightening the often gapped smiles of people in a part of the country with the highest rate of toothlessness in America.
Bailey, one of many volunteers who are bringing free mobile dental care to poor people in the hills and hollows of Appalachia, sees case after case of severe tooth decay and gum disease the consequences of sugary foods, cigarettes, chewing tobacco, a lack of fluoridated water, and simple neglect.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
My mom's family came from the Tenn KY border area. All had bad teeth.
My dad came from the OK-TX-NM area which has natural fluride in the water. All us kids, from NM, have excellent teeth with very few cavities.
My mother-in-law, from TX had perfect teeth till she told her dentist her arthritis was killing her. He got $$ signs in his eyes and told her that her teeth was the cause of her pain. She had them pulled and 40 years later, still has arthritis but no teeth. (As Bob Hope said in one of his movies, and they were perfect too!)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.