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Washington, DC—One year ago, Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old boy growing up minutes from Washington, DC, died due to complications resulting from an untreated toothache. In his honor, U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Thad Cochran (R-MS), and Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) announced new legislation to increase access to dental care.
“I hear all the time across Ohio about how families struggle with dental problems,” Senator Brown said.“People often think of health care in terms of the physical body, from the neck down, and they overlook the importance of dental health. This bill would keep families from relying on emergency rooms for dental care.”
“Recent studies have shown that poor dental health in children may increase the risk of long-term health conditions,” Senator Cochran said. “I am pleased to introduce this legislation to improve access to dental care and strengthen the dental health workforce.”
“There is no excuse for Deamonte’s death, and the fault lies with every single one of us for letting him slip through the cracks,” Congressman Cummings said. “During the past year, we have made great strides on all fronts to ensure that every other Deamonte out there has access to dental care. This tragedy should never have taken place, and this critical new legislation will ensure that we bring life from this child’s death.”
Deamonte Driver, from Maryland, died last February when an untreated tooth infection spread to his brain. Eighty dollars worth of dental care could have saved his life, but Deamonte was homeless and did not have access to a dentist. Deamonte spent two weeks in the hospital, accruing more than $200,000 in medical bills before he passed away. In an effort to honor this boy’s life, Brown, Cochran, and Cummings named their dental care bill in his memory: the Deamonte Driver Dental Care Access Improvement Act of 2008.
The Brown-Cochran-Cummings legislation would:
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