Florida
Last in the nation: Florida’s dental care crisis
ORLANDO, Fla. – Sixty-six of Florida’s 67 counties lack sufficient dental professionals and almost half of the state’s population does not have dental insurance.
A common theme emerged among those seeking help at one Daytona Beach high school offering free dental services last month.
“Aspen Dental wants $6,000; well, I don’t have that,” Diana Marcam said.
“Dental work is very expensive these days,” April Taylor told News 6.
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The need for care was made clear by those who lined up, even before dawn, to secure their spot.
“We were here at 3:30 this morning,” Marcam explained.
“I’m trying to get my partials done because I’ve really needed it. It’s been a year, and they say it costs $4,000,” Juwun Mills said.
According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration Florida ranked 50th in the percentage of children receiving an annual dental visit in 2021. The same report shows that the state ranked 42nd in the percentage of adults getting a dental check-up that same year and that annually, nearly 120,000 Floridians visit the emergency room for non-traumatic dental conditions.
“At the emergency department, they’re not getting dental care. They don’t do dentistry. They’re getting a pain pill, hopefully not an opioid. They’re getting an antibiotic, which holds it off because it is a bacterial infection. But once that antibiotic wears off, it will start again and it can go into an abscess very, very quickly,” Catherine Cabanzon said.
Cabanzon, a dental hygienist and founder of Floridians for Dental Access, expressed concern about the state’s dental care system.
“There are 67 different diseases and conditions that are associated with the mouth and oral health. We are not a third-world country. We really should be able to do better. There are not many Medicaid providers within the state of Florida, and in my county as well. Those who are Medicaid providers may not be accepting new patients for three, four, five, or six months. When you have an emergency, you can’t wait. That’s what drives people to the ER,” she said.
She said that increasing the number of dental professionals in the field who can offer routine visits is crucial to help prevent poor oral health.
“So if a person is lined up for two hours to deal with the pain of a cavity or a tooth that needs to be pulled, I promise you there are a lot of other problems in that person’s mouth, so maybe they’ll get that one extraction that day and thank God that they have that availability. But what happens to the rest? It doesn’t go away because you extract one tooth,” she said
“If we could increase our access to care, especially in the prevention and area or the early phases of a cavity where it doesn’t have to get into a crown or a root canal or an extraction. If we could do that, we could stay ahead of this and do better.’
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TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A quiet Monday turned into a frantic race against time when a deputy stepped in to save a choking 1-year-old’s life.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call about a 1-year-old baby choking. Upon arrival, the responding deputy performed life-saving procedures to help the child breathe again.
See also: Two arrested after 6-year-old arrives at Florida school with bruises, deputies say
Body camera video shows a deputy holding the baby, flipping it over on its stomach, and beginning to pat the baby’s back.
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When the baby begins to cry, the deputy is heard saying, “he’s good.”
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