12 Year-Old Dies from Lack of Dental Insurance

The nation was shocked this week when it was announced that a 12 year-old boy had passed away in Prince George's County, Maryland, as a result of not having adequate dental care. The tragedy has prompted House Democrats to address the lack of affordable health insurance, and to push forward plans that will provide dental care to the poor at an unprecedented rate.

Deamonte Driver was like many urban youths in the DC Metropolitan area. Struggling against many economic factors, the young boy did not have sufficient insurance coverage to provide quality health care, and the Medicaid coverage provided by the State of Maryland fell far short of providing even a basic level of coverage.

Deamonte's mother, Alyce Driver, had no idea that her son suffered from an abscessed tooth. She took the youth to a hospital in January after he had complained of repeated chronic headaches. By that time, the infection associated with sceptisemia had traveled from the boy's tooth to his brain. The result of the infection was a brain tumor that required two surgeries at the local Children's Hospital, followed by extensive rehabilitation at another facility. Sadly, this was not enough to save young Deamonte's life.

Driver's other son, 10 year-old DaShawn Driver, had noticeable tooth problems, as he had a swollen cheek on one side of his face, and openly complained about tooth pain. Unfortunately, the only insurance coverage the family had was Medicaid supplimental insurance from the State of Maryland. Driver said it took her weeks to locate a dentist who would even accept the Medicaid card.

Of the 5,500 licensed dentists in Maryland, less than 20 percent will accept Medicaid. There are various reasons for why dental offices report that they will not accept the coverage. The top of the list is financial, with most dentists stating that reimbursements from the government are just too low to make it worthwhile. Those who are not concerned with the money point out extensive bureaucratic hurdles, mountains of paperwork, and even plain frustrations that are associated with accepting indigent families.