Do You Think This Is Abuse?

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I do feel this is neglect, but maybe she had no form of insurance and had no way to pay for her son to visit a dentist. This is one of the reasons why health care needs to be more readily avalivable, or at least make it avaliable for all children.

I agree, so many people are without insurance they are forced to make choices like not taking their children to see a doctor. I think the mother should be charged with neglect but if the only problem with the child is his teeth I don't think they should have taken him away. Imagine how much stress he must be in to be in a totally new household with his mother in jail. Is that really the best thing for him?

[K9soul]

if the only problem with the child is his teeth I don't think they should have taken him away.

I don't think some folks are understanding how serious a problem a mouth full of rotting teeth is. It doesn't stop at the teeth, it goes down into the gum and jaw, and into the blood stream. If left long enough (as it was being left with this child) the results can be FATAL. For him to have such horribly rotting teeth, I am betting he was malnourished too, as someone else stated. He has been taken away for now but I doubt for good unless the mother continually keeps blowing it by doing these things and if she shows no remorse etc. Yes being in foster care can be emotionally traumatic but as the article stated, he would soon have been in the hospital with life-threatening complications. He also more than likely will have lasting problems from this having gotten so bad.. and perhaps no adult teeth ever.

[Lady's Human]

It is abuse. There are numerous free medical and dental programs available, so monetary reasons are no excuse.