My family normally goes every year.
But the guy we've been going two for three years was a quack.

And didn't notice a GIANT CAVITY.
That I needed a root canal to deal with. :'D

I'm completely afraid that the dentist is going to say something like that... Cause I don't think I could do any novacaine... Needles = big no no for Dae. ;_;

Yeah, same here. I always cry.
u.u

Well, needles don't freak me out that much. ^^: But I always have to struggle to relax... I once had to get 3 shots in one go. >.<;

For my root canal, I had to get 4.
Well, 5. I think it was five. .___. I don't remember, but I was hysterical.

I hate needles, too.

I should go see the dentist soon.

I'll wait until the weather is better, though.

O.o; That sounds terrifying Monstahh'. ;_;

I'm not scared of needles (took a blood sample this Thursday, actually) but I'm not enthusiastic about it either.

I gor anaesthetic salve and shots in my mouth at the same time when they took out two tooth in order to fit my bracers in. That's one of the strangest feelings ever - removing two completely healthy teeth. <.<
The result was really good, but still! D:
The first time they didn't really wait for it to set in so I made sure they did so when I had to come back to take the second one out.

A lot of dentists can be a bit pressed for time so it's best to tell them yourself if you feel the anaesthetics haven't settled in yet because it works different for different people. I for example is fairly resistant so I can sometimes need a bigger dosage in order not too feel anything.

I'm hoping that I won't need anything more serious than maybe a crown or something. I mean, I don't know what kind of stuff they have to do that for that kind of thing.

We're having a blood drive tomorrow and my one friend keeps telling me I should donate... But I don't think I could handle it.

Reminds me, I need to go to the dentist. I need a root canal done but there is no way I can afford on right now.

Just watched Sicko earlier, and reminds me how much I hate american health care. It just makes me want to move to Canada, France, Britian, Cuba, anywhere that actually takes care of it's people.

Don't they need to do a health check before you donate blood?
I've thought about becoming a blood donator but I have low blood pressure so I'm not sure how good I'll feel afterwards. XD;;

Our health care sucks. Seriously.

Akasha: I've never watched Sicko. Never really had a desire to do so. I kind of like how we have competitive health care because it provides slightly better care in general. And aren't the taxes in those places a lot higher than in the United States?

Youn: I think they test for certain things when you go to donate [like blood pressure]. I mean, this is a drive on campus, so it's not like I could just go to my doctor [who is two hours away] and get that done anyway. ^^;

But only the few can afford health care.

Which means that most don't get it. Which means if they get sick.
They spread the infection.
Which spreads, and spreads throughout the masses.

At least that is how I see it.

But from what I've heard, public health care in many European countries isn't all that great. If you don't have good public health care, then the same thing can happen. But you'd probably have to consult our somewhat resident expert on that, Youn, cause she kind of lives there and would know better.

There are free clinics in the States. It's just a matter of getting there, dealing with all the other people, filling out the paper work, ect...

Of course, medical coverage also depends on what your job is. Different places offer different plans for health care. And places like my dad's work change their health plan every bloody 3 years.

Public health care would increase taxes considerably and really wouldn't be all that great anyway because the government, still, will try to keep taxes as low as possible. Therefore, the health care would be a bare minimum. Also, the government would need to decide what should be included in in a public health care.

I didn't say the alternative was better. XD

True.... Basically, the bottom line is most of us are screwed in the end when it comes to health care.

Pretty much. ;D

Hm... I feel like I need to join a club or something...

As far as I've heard, every place that has socialized health care has great health care, very little waiting, you can still pick your doctors, doctors are paid well, it's not the bottom of the line or limited.

If I got health care whenever I needed it or was feeling sick, I will take higher taxes, I'm all for it. Infact, that would take out a huge expense most people have anyways. Not to mention not having to worry about denied anything because it's to expensive or not getting in for preventive care.

From what I understand, everywhere else in the world that has socialized health care, it's amazing because they want a good strong, happy and healthy work force, rather than people who are struggling to barely make it by too afford health care or worrying about being sick. Most insurance companies just with to make a profit off of suffereing and give doctors who make more denied claims biger bonus's rather than caring about the patient and the person.

But there is also the matter of getting all the divided parties to go for a public healthcare system. Right now, as far as I can tell, many people are divided on the issue. Most of the Republicans don't want it while the Democrats do. And of course, you'd have to convince the majority of people to do it. If these people can't afford health insurance now, what is to say that higher taxes that are going to go into public healthcare is going to leave them better off financially? [save for maybe in extreme cases if illness]

I don't believe that even the majority or even a large percentage, in general, of doctors are just in the business to make money. I can't imagine someone spending 8+ years of his/her life paying a ton of money for college to be educated just for the potential money at the end of the tunnel. Save for maybe plastic surgeons, but they are their own category in the field of medicine.

Oh, and a lot of doctors don't do vaccines anymore.

Why? Because for most of them, they don't even break even (money), they lose money on them. o.o

I actually got free shots at a college or something a few years back, I think. ^^: I remember getting the tetanus booster, the chicken pox shot and a hepatitis shot all in one go. ;_;

I got the meningitis from my general practitioner because it was covered in our insurance and he still does them... Sort of.

Sort of?

Well, the doctor wasn't the one to actually give me the shot. I think he has a nurse practitioner in his office that does that sort of thing.

He probably only carries it because it is mandatory at many schools to get it. I don't know if he really carries many other kinds of shots in the office though.