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Fortunately for me, I live in one of major U.S. metropolitan areas where good dental care for positive persons is readily available and accessible. There are several teaching hospitals with dental clinics specifically for positive people, as well as dental clinics at not-for-profit community health centers that effectively treat positive clients. I have been positive for 9 years and have not suffered any dental problems or opportunistic infections. Major metro areas have health benefits
I have noticed that whereas before, when I was not HIV +, the dentists were always finding work and things that needed to be done, now that I report my status they seldom spend more than four minutes looking in my mouth and they say no problems...even when I can feel cavities.I'd be happy if I didn't have tooth problems, but I think I'm not the only one with issues here. It gets kind of frustrating to be treated this way when with medication I don't pose much risk.
Best move to Canada, pay your own way (at sharply discounted prices for HIV meds) for 2 years, then you can apply for HealthCanada. Or, stick it out in this frikken country and focus all your efforts on making yourself rich, and just remember-The end justifies the means-i.e.Capitalism! Yay!
Even, in isolated cases, when you DO take care of your teeth by brushing & flossing religiously & getting in to see the dentist regularly, a cavity can sneak in, slowly, through the backside, & underneath an old, worn crown--undetected by x-rays OR the dentist (as in my case)--inevitably creating havoc by leading to an abcess & severe complication, in SPITE of finally undergoing a root canal! So this does NOT just happen to the negligent! The dental-DILIGENT can be at risk here also.
I tested poz in 1986. I've had a few O.I.s I have less than 100 t-cells and periodontal disease. I paid for a cleaning and a check up, the estimate for dental work came back as $22,000. That was a year ago. I'm SSI 20K is slightly more than I make a year. I cannot find a low cost dental clinic, and the possibility of getting good care seems impossible. I hate being hopeless, but I am. I'm worried that I've lived this long and my fking teeth are going to kill me.
I am writing at the end of October 2009. I guess I should feel lucky that I got an appointment to see a Ryan White dental care provider in June 2010. In the meantime, I hope that my old cavity whose filling came out last month, won't get the idea of getting infected or anything like that. Thank god I take excellent care of my oral health ... I don't know if to laugh or cry from the absurdity of it all.
I brush and floss but i recently had a filling fall out. I went to the only dentist in my area that will work with the ryan white fund. I have to wait another 4 months to go back and have it filled, by then it will probably need a root canall. Boy what good use of the funds. I found several dentist that will work if i pay them up front and none of them will take payments. I am also diabetic and been told teeth health is extra inportant. extremly furstrated
Garry Singletary
I am missing a front tooth, most of my teeth in the back of my mouth are dead and broken off. There is no Ryan White funding here. There are NO clinics here, and Dentists don't take payments. I have taken care of my teeth flossing and brushing after each meal, but still I have these problems. What am I supposed to do? For that matter waht are WE supposed to do?
June 22, 2010 • Elizabeth City,NC