They're becoming harder and harder to afford:
Access to dental care stands as a remarkably stark divide in American life, but it shouldn't come as a surprise. More than four in ten Americans pay their dental bills themselves, compared to just 10 percent of doctor’s visits, and the past decade or so has seen a vicious "oral cost spiral," as June Thomas points out, with the costs of dental care far outpacing both the rate of inflation and overall medical cost increases. With incomes falling, unemployment rising, and poverty increasing, dental care has become a "luxury" that fewer and fewer Americans can afford—and this despite the high premium that we put on appearance.
(Photo: Annette Jeffrey has her teeth examined by Remote Area Medical (RAM) volunteer dentist during a free clinic held at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on April 11, 2011 in Oakland, California. By Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The Dish 