W is for Would you like a bigger bill with that Sir?

Here's a mystery (or three) that beautifully illustrate Democratic Governance to those seeking 'Freedom'.

At least ten years ago (the 3rd instance), and possibly as long ago as 15/20 years (the 1st instance); I watched on television three programs of the Panorama/Equinox/Horizon type, or of News-Night calibre, all of which dealt with upcoming/forthcoming 'in trials' dental treatments, each of which - it was claimed - was going to prove likely - by itself - to greatly reduce the frequency and/or cost of attending dental practitioners anywhere; democracy or North Korea!

In no particular order, as I can't now remember the order (the documentaries/news items were a long time ago) the procedures were;

1 - From Scandinavia; an acid-gel, placed in one of those mould-taking 'guards' or targeted at a specific cavity, which would over a few minutes or an hour or so (I can't remember the details) clean the decay back to white enamel, allowing for the filling to go into the existing cleaned hole, with no drilling at all.

It should be explained that each time your filling comes out, they re-drill to clean enamel, after about three fillings, over 30-odd years there is not enough tooth left for another filling if the third (or 1st/2nd if the cavity was large enough to begin with or after drilling) filling falls out. Allowing the Dentist to indulge in highly expensive and sometimes painful work such as pegs, veneers, root-canal work etc...

With the acid-gel system, a far greater number of fillings could go in, and the painlessness of the procedure would - over time - see people coming in earlier, with smaller cavities, or as soon as a filling worked-out and/or while the cavity was still quite clean?

2 - The second procedure was from one of the teaching hospitals in London, and involved using ultra-sound to do pretty-much the same job as the acid-gel, a targeted beam of ultrasound would clean the cavity without the need for expansionist drilling.

3 - The third line of research - which was going to trial as the program aired - was an inoculation against the bacteria that causes the plaque that leads to cavities, gingivitis, ulcers &etc. It was hoped this would lead to the end of a need for regular dental work in human beings in general. There only being a need for reconstructive post-trauma work (i.e. road accidents, trips), or childhood cosmetic work (i.e. overbites, cleft palates etc...)

Now...writing this at home without the Internet, it may be that there have been developments since I last looked, but when I looked (about a year ago) there was very little to be found. Wikipedia had a half-page note on the ultra-sound maybe? But on the web overall; there was nought.

Why have these world-changing procedures disappeared without trace? Vested interests; Dental lobbyists, Big-Pharma, Dental Instrument manufacturers etc...You name it!

Do not think that living in a democracy ensures the constant betterment of life, or the sure dropping of the cost of living. Reganomic-Thatcherite 'Free-market' capitalism means you get what they want you to get and nothing else.

And if they don't make money at it, they'll either charge us until they do (witness the Banks; they bankrupted Europe, gambling with American debt, and now we are paying. How does that work?), or; if they can't make money at it, not carry it to production at all.

If the customer was always right, every branch of every supermarket would carry a few boxes of Grapenuts, instead many just have another two meters of shelf-space devoted to own-brand Cornflakes...sorry 'Flaked Corn'!

If the 'Market' was free, we wouldn't have lost our Nations best Rail Service a week ago, because Virgin (MEGA-Multinational multi-billion group of companies) Rail, would not have had an anti-competitive clause in their 'competitive' tender contract!!!!!

Yossarian! Where are you? Milo Mindbender is running the 'Free' West.