Free Republic

Tooth decay is the single most common chronic disease among Idaho children, but many families earn too much money to qualify for government assistance and still can't afford dental coverage for their kids. "I got an application in today -- they made $2,000 more than what CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) would allow, so they're just kind of stuck in the middle," said Kathy Ellis, Idaho coordinator of the Caring Foundation for Children. The Caring Foundation, administered by the health insurer Regence BlueShield of Idaho, gives kids from that middle no-insurance zone free dental care, up to $1,000 worth for...

<p>Kentucky's ranking as the No.1 state for toothlessness among people 65 and older is no laughing matter.</p> <p>Health experts say the ranking reflects two serious issues: a "silent epidemic" of dental problems in Kentucky that points to an equally worrisome state of overall public health.</p>

British dentists have been warned that they face criminal prosecution under EU law if they use tooth- whitening treatments to give their patients hollywood smiles. The Department of Trade and Industry says that the nation's most common tooth-whitening procedure - thought to have been used by Britney Spears, Catherine Zeta Jones, Julia Roberts, Elizabeth Hurley, Tom Cruise and even Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer - is illegal under EU rules governing the supply of hydrogen peroxide bleach. Dentists have now been warned that they face six months in jail or a £5,000 fine if they offer the treatment,...