This is the oral cavity of an angry American.
This American can't afford routine dental care much less those shining white veneers sported by the blowviator class.
So they listen to John McMoron wax eloquent on who's rich in America--the five million dollar a year and over class, and they get even angrier.
This American quite frankly doesn't give a rat's ass about what's-his-name and his eight Olympic gold medals.
This is a middle class American, in the nation's largest city, New York. This is an American who needs to see a dentist, but hey, he can't afford to do so.
This is an American for whom dental care is a long forgotten luxury.
This, "my friends" is America.
I'm going to tell you about New York City street fairs. I know you're asking yourself what in the world do New York City street fairs have to do with dental decay and the forgotten luxury of dental care?
Here's your answer.
During the spring and summer we have street fairs in New York. The merchant/vendors set up booths up and down the great Avenues in Manhattan. They sell everything from Ethnic food to miraculous cleaning products.
Many booths are veritable bazaars of hard-to-find tools, implements, devices and utensils. These booths draw large crowds because street fair veterans like me know these are the treasure troves.
During the last few fairs, I've spent some time at these watering holes observing buyers and talking to the merchants. I'm particularly interested in the vast array of dental tools.
Seems like the assorted dental implements are among the most sought-after and highly prized purchases. These are genuine dental tools of the sort you'd find in any dental office in the United States or elsewhere.
So I asked a couple of merchants what people say when they buy this stuff.
Here is what I was told.
"These are my best sellers, can't keep 'em in stock."
"They buy these products to fix their teeth at home"
"You go to the dentist?! You can still afford to do that?"
"They use what I sell to chop away all the disease causing tarter."
"I bring my children to the dentist, but I can't afford it any longer"
"I don't have dental insurance, even if I did, it's worthless."
"My friend needs a root canal and a crown and is going to Mexico."
Hey, don't believe me, don't believe what the merchants on the streets of New York are saying.
But at least take a look at this.
100,000,000 Americans have no dental insurance. I'd say probably 200,000,000 of us can't afford dental care any longer whether we have insurance or not.
Our American healthcare catastrophe has moved deep, deep into the middle class.