Maryland boy dies after bacteria from tooth spread to his brain

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kittykat1

kittykat1

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17372104/

This is a very sad story and it really makes me angry that children who are in dire need of medical attention are being turned away.

I am going to contact the author of the article to see if a fund has been or will be set up for the care of these children's teeth and other medical necessities.

WASHINGTON - Twelve-year-old Deamonte Driver died of a toothache Sunday.

A routine, $80 tooth extraction might have saved him.

If his mother had been insured.

If his family had not lost its Medicaid.

If Medicaid dentists weren't so hard to find.

If his mother hadn't been focused on getting a dentist for his brother, who had six rotted teeth.
 
And I knew someone who had both her kids on Medicaid and wasn't qualified at all. Both parents were employed fulltime and made WAY above minimum wage - I think she made $10 plus an hour and he at various times more then that. They got other benefits as well at various stages like food stamps, their daycare was paid for them and other help programs yet went to multiple car races at $125 a ticket, went on vacations all over the place. Some of my coworkers over the years tried repeatedly to turn them over to the various agencies but either it wasn't investigated or they were just that good at hiding income. It's just distressing that many who have no right to aid CAN get it while those who genuinely need it can't or lose it.
 
Even though we have good dental care for our family, stories like these scare the heck out of me. Bacteria to the brain from a bad tooth... wow.

How very sad for this boy, looking at his picture at the link just brought tears to my eyes, I know I am probably projecting but the look in his eyes.... :(

I wish I had enough money and was young enough to study and be a dentist, and then work for medicaid patients only. This sort of stuff should not be happening.
 
Why are her children's teeth so bad? They sell toothpaste and toothbrushes at the dollar store and even in the worst case scenerio when you don't have any money at all - they could share the toothbrush and paste - two dollars a month can go a long way and you can find that just by looking down around vending machines.


Yes, there is a big problem to fix - but there is more than one problem to fix. If you can't get good dental care - take care of your teeth yourself.
 
I think that's a bit black and white, Glitch. I know what you're saying, and I agree, but even though I took excellent care of my teeth and had check-ups every 6 months I ended up with an abcess by one of my teeth one day. Stuff like that can happen even if you're a good brusher and floss every night.
 
Teeth can be bad even when you take care of them. I am getting a root canal next week for an absess tooth. I brush my teeth just as I should, sometimes things happen. Maybe they weren't brushing good enough, or using cheap products, old expired toothpaste from the dollar store. IMO, it's irrelevant HOW he got a toothache. It's a common thing. Even with insurance, I am looking at about $1500 OOP for the root canal, the post, and the crown. If I didn't have $3000 in flex spending, I wouldn't be getting it done, or I would at least have to wait.
In any case though, there should be a way for people to get the emergency treatment they need. Emergency rooms in hospitals are set up to accept anyone who comes in, insured or not. Why do we not have the same capabilities when it comes to our teeth?
 
This is really scary. Poor boy. My 9 yo daughter woke up today and her tooth was broken (she sees a dentist reguarly) and it was bleeding a little. I am calling her dentist as soon as they open.
 
GlitchWizard said:
Why are her children's teeth so bad? They sell toothpaste and toothbrushes at the dollar store and even in the worst case scenerio when you don't have any money at all - they could share the toothbrush and paste - two dollars a month can go a long way and you can find that just by looking down around vending machines.


Yes, there is a big problem to fix - but there is more than one problem to fix. If you can't get good dental care - take care of your teeth yourself.
Click to expand...

You said it all for me! My guess is these children drank sodas instead of milk, and weren't taught dental hygene.

Of all my friends, I don't know of a single child that even has had a cavity or filling.
 
JanetElaine said:
I think that's a bit black and white, Glitch. I know what you're saying, and I agree, but even though I took excellent care of my teeth and had check-ups every 6 months I ended up with an abcess by one of my teeth one day. Stuff like that can happen even if you're a good brusher and floss every night.
Click to expand...
Yes, stuff can happen - and THAT is where the second problem of not easy access to dental services comes in. However, if one child had a mouth full of horrible cavities and the other had this issue also - that's unlikely to be "stuff happens" and more likely to be poor oral hygeine.
 
Pepper said:
You said it all for me! My guess is these children drank sodas instead of milk, and weren't taught dental hygene.

Of all my friends, I don't know of a single child that even has had a cavity or filling.
Click to expand...
Many places put flouride in the water supply, so kids have less cavities today than before. My daughter is 14, never had any dental issues except for needing braces. We don't have flouridated water because where we are is on a well, but from the time she was born, I gave her flouride drops and then she used floride toothpaste. (From the dollar store! It's not expired.) :)
 
Dena said:
Teeth can be bad even when you take care of them. I am getting a root canal next week for an absess tooth. I brush my teeth just as I should, sometimes things happen. Maybe they weren't brushing good enough, or using cheap products, old expired toothpaste from the dollar store. IMO, it's irrelevant HOW he got a toothache. It's a common thing. Even with insurance, I am looking at about $1500 OOP for the root canal, the post, and the crown. If I didn't have $3000 in flex spending, I wouldn't be getting it done, or I would at least have to wait.
In any case though, there should be a way for people to get the emergency treatment they need. Emergency rooms in hospitals are set up to accept anyone who comes in, insured or not. Why do we not have the same capabilities when it comes to our teeth?
Click to expand...

But you are an adult! I am 60 and dental products weren't good when I was a child. No flouride then. I can't tell you how many filling I have now, plus 5 crowns and 2 root canals. But, because of good dental products and toothpaste with flouride, I haven't had a new cavity in years.

My point is that if that child had been brushing regularly, and his soda consumption limited, I seriously doubt that he would have had an abscess, nor would his brother have rotten teeth. BTW, I don't think toothpast "expires."
 
I worked for a dentist for 5 years as office manager. We dealt primarily with Medicaid patients. Even if the Medicaid had lapsed, we would see the child anyway, and attempt to help them get their coverage back. The dentist I worked for would never turn a child away. He would absorb the cost if he had to.
 
santos1014 said:
I worked for a dentist for 5 years as office manager. We dealt primarily with Medicaid patients. Even if the Medicaid had lapsed, we would see the child anyway, and attempt to help them get their coverage back. The dentist I worked for would never turn a child away. He would absorb the cost if he had to.
Click to expand...
What a good man he was. :)
 
The best, God rest his soul.

Death from tooth abcess is not as uncommon as one might think. When you are dealing with an upper tooth, especially one that could have the sinus cavity involved, there is always a risk of infection going to the brain.
 
santos1014 said:
Death from tooth abcess is not as uncommon as one might think. When you are dealing with an upper tooth, especially one that could have the sinus cavity involved, there is always a risk of infection going to the brain.
Click to expand...
Dude, that's scary.

Thanks for setting my mind at ease when I was :eek: already! ;) :D
 
santos1014 said:
I worked for a dentist for 5 years as office manager. We dealt primarily with Medicaid patients. Even if the Medicaid had lapsed, we would see the child anyway, and attempt to help them get their coverage back. The dentist I worked for would never turn a child away. He would absorb the cost if he had to.
Click to expand...
:clap: :clap: :clap:

*waits for flood control* Who knew a minute was this long... :eek:
 
GlitchWizard said:
Yes, stuff can happen - and THAT is where the second problem of not easy access to dental services comes in. However, if one child had a mouth full of horrible cavities and the other had this issue also - that's unlikely to be "stuff happens" and more likely to be poor oral hygeine.
Click to expand...
That's true too.
 
Pepper said:
But you are an adult! I am 60 and dental products weren't good when I was a child. No flouride then. I can't tell you how many filling I have now, plus 5 crowns and 2 root canals. But, because of good dental products and toothpaste with flouride, I haven't had a new cavity in years.

My point is that if that child had been brushing regularly, and his soda consumption limited, I seriously doubt that he would have had an abscess, nor would his brother have rotten teeth. BTW, I don't think toothpast "expires."
Click to expand...
There is a condition known as soft teeth that some children (my 7-year-old goddaughter for one) are born with. Their baby teeth are just more likely to develop cavities and rot unless they are sealed. My goddaughter stays away from sweets and has a very strong teeth cleaning regimine and her teeth are still a mess.

My sons eat sweets and brush their teeth once (sometimes twice) a day and have no problems. They have obviously inherited my lucky teeth genes. I take okay (nothing special) care of my teeth - have never done anything more than brush them once or twice a day and go to the dentist maybe once a year and I never had a cavity until I was 36. Some of it really is the luck of the draw.
 
santos1014 said:
Dude?? ::looking in my mirror to see if I look dude-ish::
Santos1014=female ;)
Click to expand...
It's just something I say to everybody. Way to change the subject. :D
 
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