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Awful story on 20/20 about Small Smiles - torturing children
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Anonymous
No one is saying that the dentist is right. We all know that there was fraud. The OTHER point is that parents need to brush their children's teeth at least twice a day. They should also floss. YES, some kids are prone to cavities for various reasons, but most American children are NOT. If a child has had adequate fluoride, the most common causes of dental caries are high sugar and little tooth brushing. Is there ANYTHING that we parents accept as our own responsibility?? |
Anonymous
Who said parents shouldn't be responsible for brushing their children's teeth? The same people that are complaining parents don't take responsibility. You are inventing this debate in your head . . . |
Anonymous
Yeah, and they never did mention which practice they worked. We would like to know so that we can avoid the practice like the plague you make it sound. |
Anonymous
| Ummm, maybe the parents should have asked a few more questions instead of thinking 16 root canals at one time was acceptable... |
Anonymous
The article indicated that in most of these cases, Small Smiles staff threatened to call child protective services on the parents if they didn't agree to the treatments. They used fear to intimidate the parents into agreeing. |
Anonymous
I would guess she works for Smiles Pediatric Dentistry in Lanham and Bowie. That place is just out to make money and they have adopted many of the same practices that Small Smiles uses especially the fear and intimidation. Man oh man, do they get pissed when someone isn't afraid of the "office manager" who threatens them. |
Anonymous
| The posters who don't believe that genetics play a major role in the health of their mouths are nuts. I'm 35 and have never had a cavity in my life. I am a twice a day brusher and once a day flosser, but I know people who brush after every single meal and still have terrible cavities. It's not always about "fault." |
Anonymous
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I hope this doesn't cause parents of kids actually WITH cavities to hesitate about getting them filled.
My dd had multiple cavities at the age of 3 even though we brushed her consistently. Turns out her teeth were set very close together, making them more prone to cavities. At first I thought it couldn't be possible so I went and got a second opinion. And a third... and it turned out to be a huge ordeal because she was so young and needed general anesthesia. In the end, I found a really terrific pediatric dentist who actually did all the facilitating with the medical and dental insurance people to ensure we were covered. He also did a very good job on the cavities... which actually got so bad during the course of battling with insurance companies that they needed crowns. I would recommend him except that he's not taking any new patients. |
Anonymous
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NP here.
Let me be clear. I am not defending these practices, which I find abhorrent. I totally believe that some of these people are money-grubbing frauds who should be locked up. And I'm not going to tell parents that they are responsible for their child's misery because they didn't brush as much as they should've. But I do blame the parents for this: I would NEVER EVER let a doctor, nurse, or health care person take my 3, 4, or 5 year old ANYWHERE where I could not go. There is absolutely no legitimate reason for that. That is a GIANT red flag, and I would've been out the door in a flash. When your 5 year old is behind closed doors for 3 hours (because he's getting 16 root canals), where the HELL ARE YOU??? You check on your child for pete's sake. |
Anonymous
No one said that there are not people who do all the right things and still get cavities. However, that is usually not the story for most people though. My child got a cavity, which she probably would not have had if she ate less sugar and brushed more. The point is that the lower income demographic has a disproportionate amount of dental problems that are mostly lifestyle related. I HAVE NOT SAID THAT THE DENTIST IS INNOCENT. |
Anonymous
PRECISELY!!! p.s. this kind of scam has been around for years. My 70+ y.o. mother tells the tales of all her crowns and fillings as a child by a dentist that turned out to be scamming her parents. Her parents just didn't know any better. I am curious, though, how would you pick a dentist for your child? We ended up where we did through referral to the same dentist by both our pediatrician and by my dentist of 25 years. |
Anonymous
Out getting a manicure? It's like free child care. Free dental work, and 3 hours to yourself. Who can beat that? |
Anonymous
PP here. I'll be honest. I have limited amounts of time (like everyone). So I try to get referrals, and depending on the "importance" of the care (e.g., someone to do brain surgery, or someone to check/brush my kids' teeth) I spend more or less time making sure I get the "right choice". But the kicker is I always GO to the appointment, and observe the doctor in action. While I have no medical training, I have good instincts and an incredible nose for B.S. Lots of times I take my kids somewhere, and I decide I don't care for the doctor, so I try someone else. I'm also not shy at all about pulling the plug on some recommended test or procedure, going to do some research, and then re-evaluating whether I have the right doc or just need a second opinion. |
Anonymous
Yes, because fresh fruits and fresh vegetables are more expensive to buy than most processed, organic foods - which makes it really hard for parents on medicaid to afford. Also, in some lower-income urban areas, fresh fruit and vegetables aren't readily available. If you were on a limited income, which medicaid families are, would you rather pay your rent or buy fresh food for your kids? |
Anonymous
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I found the awful dentist, that ruined my son's teeth, at his daycare. They had children at the same daycare and they came in for a career day. All the other parents had gone there and were happy with her. I don't know if she targeted us because my son is special needs, because we were considered the low income family (earning over $200k at the time) at the day care or because it was a Tuesday and she was in a bad mood. I didn't question her at first because she didn't say my dd needed a ton of work.
The very first treatments that were done were not necessary and not done well. All seven fillings had cracked or fallen out by DS's six month check up and I was told that sometimes it just happens. I didn't buy that answer and by the time I was able to get my son in and the treatments done it was too late. His teeth were ruined. I am angry and bitter and I am in no way to blame for this. I brushed and flossed his teeth, but maybe not as well as I could have because he is known to bite, but I did it the best I could. I followed my gut and questioned the treatments and took him somewhere else. Too bad it was too late. DS went to his new dentist today and had the first of two baby root canals done. This dentist only worked on one side of his mouth today and I will have to take him back in a few weeks for the other side. I can't help the fact that by the time I followed my gut it was too late. I just want to thank that poster who blames the parents for making me feel even worse than I already do. |