Amy Scott

As we talk in his rice fields, I can't help but notice the giant industrial buildings with smokestacks in the distance.

Is that a refinery?

A visual reminder of which industry is king in Texas.

Here along the Gulf Coast is where refineries are concentrated.

But 500 miles northwest of here is the engine of U.S.

oil production, the Permian Basin in West Texas.

You'd think that production would go up with higher prices.

There's no drill baby drill happening because of this.

Nikki Morris with Texas Christian University says since for now this crisis is temporary, high oil prices aren't going to suddenly spur a bunch more drilling.

But even without a big increase in production, higher prices still benefit oil companies and oil-producing economies, says Carr Ingham with the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.

He says higher prices lead to increased retail and auto sales and generate more tax revenue.

So while gasoline prices may loom large in many U.S.

And even rice farmer Casey Smith, who is paying more for diesel and fertilizer, has a nuanced view of high energy prices because... I also work in refineries about 60 days a year.

Smith's job in oil and gas gives him the financial freedom to do what he loves, rice farming.

In Brazoria County, Texas, I'm Elizabeth Troval for Marketplace.

Hey, so when was the last time you went to see the dentist?

While there are other reasons people might avoid going, cost can be one factor.

In a Humana study, 57% of U.S.

adults said they delayed dental treatment to take care of other expenses.

That figure was even higher for parents and other caretakers.