February 2007

Deamonte Driver, 12, a Black boy in Prince George's County, Maryland, died after a tooth abscess spread bacteria to his brain. His family's Medicaid coverage had lapsed; dentists who accepted Medicaid were scarce. Two brain surgeries and six weeks of hospitalization could not save him. His death, reported in the Washington Post, prompted congressional hearings on Medicaid dental coverage gaps that disproportionately affected Black children.

Deamonte Driver, 12, of Prince George's County, Maryland, died after a tooth abscess spread bacteria to his brain. His family's Medicaid had lapsed; Medicaid dentists were scarce. His death prompted congressional hearings on Medicaid dental gaps disproportionately affecting Black children.