Yes, I think the child should have been taken away. That's absurd. And, if she is that ignorant, and able to let her child suffer for a year and do nothing about it, what would she do about another type of suffering? If he were to break his arm, would she just ignore it, and say she assumed the bone would eventually heal on it's own? As a parent, you do ANYthing to make sure your children aren't suffering or hurting.

As for the cost, I haven't had medical insurance for the last ten years. My son has always seen the dentist and doctor when needed. I make sacrifices in other less important areas to pay those bills. And if this woman was truly so destitute that she couldn't even do that, there are federal and state-funded programs (like Medicare) to pay for children's medical and dental care.