Mom Forced To Take Son Out Of Country To Get Simple Dental Work — 'This Is Why People Don't Go To Doctors Even With Insurance'
She was told it would cost thousands of dollars for her son to have simple dental work done in the United States.
@gossipgalnews / TikTok; Anna Shvets / Pexels A mom revealed the honest reason why she was forced to take her son out of America to get a simple procedure done.
In a video, TikTok user @gossipgalnews, a mom of a 14-year-old, explained that she had been trying to find a doctor in America for her son that wouldn't cost her thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, due to America's lack of affordable healthcare, she was forced to look elsewhere.
She took her son to Portugal to get simple dental work done after the high cost of having it done in America.
"The audacity of American dentists, let me tell you what's going on," the teenage boy's mom began in her video. She explained that she was currently in Portugal to take her son to the dentist because, during his birth, something happened that led to his two front teeth being stained brown.
The stain on his teeth led to some self-esteem issues, so she decided to seek out a solution from a slew of dentists in the United States.
"When he was about 6, I started asking dentists, 'Hey, can we fix this?' and I had no less than six American dentists tell me it would be thousands of dollars."
The prices she was receiving ranged from $10,000 to $15,000 for essentially a teeth whitening procedure. Hearing the astronomical prices from American dentists, she knew she wouldn't be able to afford to have him get his teeth whitened in the States.
While on a trip to Portugal, she had taken her son to get his teeth cleaned and, during the visit, she happened to mention to the dentist what she had been told in America about the price and was shocked to hear the Portugal dentist outright laugh.
"They said, 'Oh yeah, we always know just by looking at the mouth, who has American dental work because it's always the most expensive with the [worst] supply, and it's just really bad work.' And then they went on to tell me that the problem could be fixed for 20 euro," she continued.
The teen's mom remarked that she was blown away at the price of teeth whitening outside of America being close to $22 in USD. She claimed the Portugal dentist had been able to practically remove the brown stains from her son's teeth without her having to give up an arm and leg to do it in America.
The lack of affordable healthcare in America continues to be a challenging issue.
Since the average household income in the United States is $87,864, as of 2023, that means the average American family spends at least $4,393 for out-of-pocket healthcare costs. The United States is one of the only countries that doesn't offer affordable healthcare options for its citizens.
In 2021, U.S. healthcare spending reached $4.3 trillion, which averages to about $12,900 per person. By comparison, the average cost of healthcare per person in other wealthy countries is only about half as much.
For dental work, specifically with dental insurance, the average cost for small issues, such as cavities or teeth whitening, is $978. Without dental insurance, the average costs can be around $1,007 and higher.
Due to a lack of access to affordable preventive care in this country, it can lead to undiagnosed and untreated conditions, which would result in higher healthcare costs in the long run.
In the comments section, many people shared the same frustrations as the teen boy's mom when it came to the high cost of healthcare in America.
"We have dental insurance — 2 cleanings & covers $2,000 a [year]. That barely covers anything [because] it's so expensive to get anything done!" one TikTok user pointed out.
Another user added, "My children’s dental cleaning just went from $99 to $250. A child’s cleaning is literally just fancy toothpaste. I’m so mad."
The unfair reality of the healthcare system and the high costs for simple procedures continue to be important topics of discussion among Americans. It's a disheartening thought that people, such as this mother, have to resort to seeking care out of the country just to save themselves thousands of dollars.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.