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Image by Public Citizen via Flickr
A 24-year-old Cincinnati father died from a tooth infection this week  because he couldn't afford his medication, offering a sobering reminder  of the importance of oral health and the number of people without access  to dental or health care. . . .  Kyle Willis' wisdom tooth started hurting two weeks ago. When dentists  told him it needed to be pulled, he decided to forgo the procedure,  because he was unemployed and had no health insurance.
When his face started swelling and his head began to ache, Willis went  to the emergency room, where he received prescriptions for antibiotics  and pain medications. Willis couldn't afford both, so he chose the pain  medications.
The tooth infection spread, causing his brain to swell. He died Tuesday.