Lets discuss root canals

I have spent the past weekend celebrating the joys of being with my daughters in the beautiful North Ga. mountains and popping pain killers every 4-6 hours for what turns out to have been a very infected tooth.  It was not exactly a weekend in paradise but my girls and I got to do some major relaxing and take part in some serious girl time.  But today is a different story.
I pulled myself out of bed this morning at the usual time (430 am) wishing I could pop another pain pill but knowing the county takes a very dim view of such things.  So, I opted out of my morning coffee due to temperature sensitivity and driving into Duluth for a 6 am fir alarm test.  Even before I got there I knew today was going to be a challenge.  The throbbing in my mouth felt akin to having tacks stuck into the roof of my mouth.  So not a good thing.
By 8 am I was scheduling the appt. for what was to be a root canal.  So now to the true reason for my rant today.  Everyone is talking about health care reform.  How our health care insurance is so terrible in this country. I cannot tell you the last time I heard someone go off on dental insurance.  Well get ready folks cause here I go,
I pay more than double for dental insurance what I pay for medical insurance,  it is also what I am told is one of the best policies on the market yet still is grossly inadequate for a families needs and more specifically for my needs.  Today, I had to pay $HUGE$ out of pocket for the procedure done.  No alternative payment plan was available.  Because I had already used my allotted amount for the year due to other unforeseen dental emergencies I was up the creek.
Now I'm very very blessed to be able to have the work done (and it put a massive dent I our savings that I'm still upset about. Feeling guilty fir spending that kind of money on myself.   but hear me folks, I cannot be the only one who has felt this way. Who has put off and absolutely refused to have the dental care needed due to cost.  If I had been able to work and not live on pain meds I would have.
I know people everywhere are doing this.   While I was in the drs office today I heard the receptionist say at least 2 times to potential customers what the cost would be and that insurance was not covering Most if it. Then she said she completely understood and wished the client well.There was to be no surgery.   That is absolutely unacceptable.  But where is the discussion on this issue,  I not heard it.
My own parents did the same thing because of the cost of dental care.  We laughed about it at the time but my daddy walked around with a white square of gum in his mouth pretending it ws a tooth.  With this huge push for healthy living, isn't it true that oral health is very indicative of total body health?  I just wanted o put something out there for discussion.  What is the answer?  Iknow one thing, it should not be this hard or expensive.
For us it was hitting the savings and hoping for the best.  Also, being thankful that there was a little surplus to call on.
So now, hours later and 2 more pain killers in I hope we have finally cured the pain.  But just the physical pain,  the bank account will hurt for a little longer.  Learning the value of a dollar,  one root canal at a time.