Originally Posted By: ILBob
Apparently nationalized healthcare in the UK has led to a lot of DIY dentistry there.


This is a misleading, politicized summary of the article. Let me quote the relevant part:

Quote:
Since a new NHS contract was introduced in 2006, the number of crowns, bridges and dentures being fitted has fallen dramatically as dentists feel they are no longer paid enough for time-consuming procedures.

As many as 500,000 patients have been wrongly told by their dentist they must pay privately for treatment that should be available on the NHS.


In other words, according to the article, the pricing structure under the new contract and the greed of certain unscrupulous dentists have led to the rise of DIY dentistry. This implies that there was already nationalized healthcare before 2006, and under the previous contracts it did not cause a rise in DIY dentistry.

My post here is not political, because it is factual: I am attempting to report accurately what the quoted article actually says. With that said, I am unable to vouch for the accuracy of the article, nor do I find its content relevant to the US population. We're not subject to the 2006 contract. This bit of data doesn't change my risk assessment, and I continue to think that DIY dentistry is something I'd have to contemplate only if I'm lost in the wild for a long time.