Parents Busted for Kids' Rotten Teeth

I have to admit that my kids have not been to a dentist in several years. I have to chose between a roof over their heads and food or dentist. I am what you call the working poor. I have two jobs and my husband works also. Our health insurance cost us $135 a week with a copay of $40 per dr visit. I have no dental plan and cannot afford the several hundred dollars it seems to cost every time I go to a dentist for a check up. There is no assistance for people in my economic bracket

It is sad for the children that their parents cannot or do not prioritize their dental needs. However, it is NOT the business of the police. If their issues are financial, sitting in jail is only making the problem worse. Government intrusion into private lives is a growing problem and is a side effect of an every increasing socialistic government.

What's the parents teeth like?

No it's not 1984 everybody, You have a family you take care of your children and these kids' teeth were apparently in very bad shape and in THIS day and age with WELFARE MEDICAID etc there is no excuse for not taking them or getting them over to a dentist.
Back in the day ,long before the era of the social workers,most schools DEMANDED a dental note every year and would get after the parents to get this done.
Autism is no excuse either as the clinics are well prepared to give nitrous etc for ALL that get agitated .

Medicaid may cover dental, but some of us don't have any dentists that will accept it. I had to buy private insurance for my kids to visit the dentist, but I myself don't have it and haven't been to the dentist in years because of it.

Just a matter of time before they start to lock up parents whose children are fat. Isn't a fat child put at more risk than a kid with bad teeth? This is America, let us find as many as we can to lock up so we can continue to build more prisons.

One place "the working poor" can economize is ditch the computer and e-mail accounts. Library cards are free. Radio is a non-subscription source of news.

Just a thought, wouldn't it make more sense to get the dental care for the children, set up a payment program for the parents, instead of jailing these parents at taxpayers expense? This mindset [jail]
brought to you by the authors of,"let's legislate poverty and lack of education out of existance!" And democrats are fools because they believe in healthcare, education and other asistance for the poor! Really?

Well that is a real adult comment to call a 7 and 9 year old losers! I have worked in the special education field for over 19 years. I also have 2 children with multiple disabilities, one of which is austistic. I have gotten my son to do a lot things that would being voilent outburst. The sensory intregration, working with a child and medication will help, also learning postive teaching and the PECS communication system aid families and educators to assist these children and adults with behaviors associated with austism. Also most dentist will sedate children who have a tendency to be physical when presented with things they do not like. Parents have a responibility to their chidlren, and if they can not do their job then the children need to be removed from their care.

he probably what 5 or 6 times?

Truth is that a 9 year old only know what he/she has been taught so the way I figure it and a sane society would figure it would be that it is the adults in this child's life that are sick and disgusting! I bet you and this child father do not brush your teeth, your hair or even wipe your a$$es!
It is parents like this child's father and step parents like you who are the sick and losers of the world. It makes me sick that just any moran and lowlife can procreate. May this child have a zillion angels watching over him and may YOU and this child's father pay for ALL your sick sins! What goes around comes around Vicki so be prepared.
Wow, what a sick person you are! Scares me to really understand that there are pieces of crap like you out there parenting our youth!
You need some professional help, you and that piece of crap of a father!

And Vicki's comment is the perfect example of why there are so many children's stories about wicked stepmothers.

He was probably wondering why his mom and not were not together and blaming you. Understandable.

This is the responsibility of the people who raised him if that is you and your husband then it is your fault the child is like this. I have five children with my husband and three have graduated from high school and college with honors, they have good jobs, beautiful homes and are wonderful, never any problems. Our two teenagers have honors every marking period and the teachers love them, so does anyone else they meet. It all comes down to good parenting do not blame the child for this children are not bad.

Maybe the kid is a bad apple. I know people dont like to think its true and its not PC to say so but It does actually happen. I know from experience. My brother is one of those bad apples ever since he was a baby. They took him to a number of drs to see if he had any disabilities or autism or adhd and they never found anything. They tried everything with him to no avail. He was just different than the rest of us in the family. He hated school no matter what fun games my parents would try or computer games.. all opportunities given to him were thrown in their face. He misbehaved regardless of a threat of punishment or praise. He was a horrible child and adult. How is it that the same parents with the same parenting style have with two children have such dramatic results?? Its not always the parents fault, I give my parents a lot of credit. I turned out to be quite successful (graduate degree and currently holding a job) and took and used every opportunity my parents gave me to the fullest. Also this woman is the stepmother which means the actual mother and father didnt do their job for the first nine yrs of this kids life and now she has to deal with it, why are you all dumping on her. Some kids are just losers, some snap out of it and some dont.

Obviously, "someone" didn't know how to discipline their children. I can't believe you would actually call a 9-yr old gross and filthy!! That is absolutely no excuse for not taking a kid to the dentist!! I think YOU have a problem.