Mom Jailed Because Of Son's Rotten Teeth Woman Thought Teeth Would Just Fall Out POSTED: 8:16 am EDT September 14, 2006 BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- A Pennsylvania mother is behind bars because, police said, her son's lack of dental care was her fault. * Survey: Poor Dental Care: Abuse? According to a local dentist, the 5-year-old boy has just eight teeth left and will need to be on a special soft food diet. The dentist said the child's tooth decay was so severe, it was criminal, and police agreed. Dr. Nicholas Prusack said the nerves are exposed in several places. "This is the X-ray showing the rotted teeth of the 5 year-old victim, and 12 of them so infected they had to be pulled," Prusack said. Investigators said the damage was the result of the boy having never seen a dentist. Now, his mother, 43-year-old Erneida Resto of Bethlehem, Pa., is charged with endangering her son's welfare. Northampton County, Pa., children and youth services began investigating Resto in February when she took her son to a dental office in Salisbury Towsnhip, Pa. That is where Prusack performed the surgery, saying the boy was in so much pain he could not eat. "It is probably one of the worst cases," Prusack said. Prusack was so concerned that he notified authorities, who said the boy had been complaining of headaches and pain in his mouth since the summer of 2005. According to court documents, his mother said she knew her son was hurting, but did not take him to a dentist because she figured his baby teeth would fall out and the problem would fix itself. Prusack said if he hadn't removed the boy's teeth he would likely have ended up in the hospital within six months. He said the boy is now left with only six teeth on the bottom and two teeth on top and has a long road ahead. "He's not going to have all of his permanent teeth, and for the next 10 years chewing food will be a problem for him," Prusack said. Restohas been sent to Northampton County Prison under $25,000 bail. A preliminary hearing was set for Sept. 22. The boy is now in foster care, officials said.
I heard that on the news tonight. That is horrible! He was in that much pain and she thought 'it would just take care of itself'?! :shock: OMG I feel horrible if I forget to remind my kids to brush their teeth once in a blue moon, before they go to bed, I can't imagine letting a bunch of them rot and not do anything about it! That poor boy. I might have a tad bit of sympathy for her if she didn't have dental insurance for him, but even then, if he's in that much pain, she should have done something.
I have no sympathy for her whatsoever. Not taking a dog for dental visits is one thing, but not taking a child... especially when his teeth are rotting out of his head? No excuse! I'd be willing to bet money that if it was her teeth that were hurting, she would have found a way to pay for some dental visits! :evil:
This proves once again that we need a law requiring people to be thoroughly tested and licensed to keep their own gonads.
That is horrible...she should be charged! Even if she couldn't afford dental care... that child could have went to the dentist for free through medicare (I think that's what it's called).
Oh, I know... and my rant wasn't directed at you. People like that just make me so angry. I mean, how much does a toothbrush and a tube of Crest cost anyway? If she had been doing her job as a parent and making sure her child was simply brushing his teeth at least once a day, then she wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.
Your rant was directed at me? Well shucks, I felt special for a moment. LOL J/K I knew what you meant. :wink:
At what age should a child start brushing their teeth 2-3 times a day? Mine brushes once a day, but I didnt want to over-do it b/c I have heard so many reports that childrens toothpaste is the leading cause of cavities in children..Am I crazy or have others heard this?? At what age should they start seeing a dentist? Oh by the way...that mom needs to have all her teeth pulled with no medication and see how she likes it!!!
With all of mine, I started dental care when they were babies. Our doc reccomended using a wet washcloth to wipe their gums. Then as soon as they started getting teeth we started brushing. There is 'beginners' toothpaste that we use now for our two yr old. It's a kind that if they swallow it, it will not harm them. Regular toothpaste can make a child very sick or even kill them if too much is consumed, (like if a child gets ahold of a tube and eats a bunch of it). I have never heard of toothpaste CAUSING cavities, that is something to look into, I would like to know the answer for sure. I was told by our dentist that our 2 yr old should have her first visit when she is five yrs old.
All 4 of my kids started seeing the dentist around 2-3 yrs old. Now, that doesn't mean that they always allowed someone to clean their teeth and do the flouride treatments at that age, but at least they started getting used to sitting in the chair.
Toothbrushing If the toothpaste has the ADA stamp of approval on it, it will not cause cavities. NEVER buy toothpaste from dollar stores, as it is made out of country and is not tested, and can contain who knows what but often does not contain a healthy amount of flouride. I wouls also not recommend brushing more than 2 times a day. Overbrushing can cause sensitivity in teeth, with virtually no added benefit over brushing twice. Also, use a soft bristled toothbrush, as the harder bristles can also cause enamel damage. And I suugest that the lasy who let her son's teeth rot should be forced to chew tin fold an hour a day for the rest of ever.
Re: Toothbrushing I didn't realize Oral B was made in another country and was so bad for you. :shock: I always thought Oral B was a reputiable (sp? sorry) brand.
Remember... ADA stamp Oral B may be a reputible brand, but no brand is going to do more than they have to in order to sell a prodeuct. If another country requires less, they give them less. Or more. The standardization is the key to safety.
So if on the back of Oral B it says 'made in NY, USA', but it's sold in a dollar store, there is a chance it was not made in NY, USA, but possibley another country? Serious question, not being a smart butt, because I didn't know that, and do want to know if that's the case or not. Thanks!
