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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think this isn't something to brag about?

114 replies

FuckSanta · 17/04/2016 17:29

Acquaintance has posted pics on FB today of her 5 year old daughter. Apparently she's "so proud" of her daughter for being "so brave" while recovering from having 10 teeth removed due to decay (the kid lives on junk food and Coke). Surely this isn't something to brag about? I'd be mortified if my child needed such treatment due to parental neglect!

OP posts:
DropYourSword · 17/04/2016 17:30

10??!

HoneyDragon · 17/04/2016 17:32

The kid went through one hell of an ordeal, I imagine it wasn't fun for anyone and the parent isn't bragging about her dd's teeth being bad.

newnameoldstart · 17/04/2016 17:34

Well to be fair regardless of how she got the decay her dd probAbly has been brave!

I always think that some children must be more prone to decay I have NEVER been overly pushy with my kids teeth and yet they have somehow escaped decay and yet other people I know who are really on top of it all have had to take theirs for fillings!

Missyaggravation · 17/04/2016 17:37

I don't so much think it is down to neglect, my kids have regular chocolate/occasional sugary drinks etc and at 6 and 9 have perfect teeth. The dentist even remarked that it's rare to see no decay, they obviously brush them, but it's not down to any superhuman sugar ban on my part.

My nephew who is incredibly doted on, overprotective mum etc had to have a few teeth removed. Pretty sure it's not because my sister is a worse parent Hmm

NeedsAsockamnesty · 17/04/2016 17:58

Sometimes more teeth than the ones with decay need removing because the mouth can go a bit weird if you don't.

either way it's not a great and fun experance and there is nothing wrong with making a big deal about the kid being brave.

Your own humiliation is a different issue to your childs coping

coffeeisnectar · 17/04/2016 18:02

My DD had 10 teeth removed aged 5. She had fallen when 18 months and knocked her front teeth which killed a nerve. The dentist told me to leave it and it would just fall out. It didn't. It got infected and then infected the surrounding teeth. It didn't help that she was in the care of her dad for 3 weeks and came home with a fucking huge abscess. I was fuming.

She was really brave and I was mortified at her having to go through that. My oldest DD's teeth are fine.

My DD's have never lived on junk food and coke. In fact fizzy drinks are never really in this house. I think my DD was just incredibly unlucky.

APlaceOnTheCouch · 17/04/2016 18:09

I had 7 teeth removed as a child. I brushed my teeth religiously and attended every dentist appointment. The dentist couldn't pinpoint why my teeth had a problem but they did. At one point he thought it was possibly because I was prem or because my mum was older. Either way, my teeth were in poor condition from the outset.

Stop being so judgey about a child having a minor operation.

MumOnTheRunCatchingUp · 17/04/2016 18:18

How do you know it's due to consuming sugar??

Judgey much?

AyeAmarok · 17/04/2016 18:29

Maybe you don't know the full story.

passmethewineplease · 17/04/2016 18:33

YABU.

Regardless of how the tooth decay came about her DD had been brave going through that.

WorraLiberty · 17/04/2016 18:35

How is she 'bragging'? Confused

Wadingthroughsoup · 17/04/2016 18:36

I do think a lot of it is luck and genes. My brother and I both have really shoddy teeth and loads of fillings, despite our best efforts to care for our teeth. Our parents both had terrible teeth- and I never saw my dad eat sweets or have a fizzy drink. He still had a mouthful of fillings!

I'm rather hoping my kids will inherit my OH's genes for teeth as he (at the grand old age of 41) has never had a single filling.

Original poster
FuckSanta · 17/04/2016 18:36

How do you know it's due to consuming sugar??

Because she's said so. Said both girls were sad because the dentist had banned pop tarts and Mcflurries and Coke and that she has no idea what she's going to feed them. Someone else joked that McDonald's will go bust if they don't get their tea there 4 times a week. Hmm

OP posts:
Yeahsure · 17/04/2016 18:37

Funny that you post this as childrens' dental decay is all over the news at the moment OP.

AlmaMartyr · 17/04/2016 18:38

The DD has been brave, however it happened.

There are posts on here all the time from parents mortified that their DCs need teeth out, even when they've done everything right.

VestalVirgin · 17/04/2016 18:41

Coke is known to deplete the body of calcium and thereby lead to tooth decay. Giving this stuff to a 5 year old is neglect. (Also, it contains caffeine? Who gives caffeine to a toddler?)

The kid may be prone to tooth decay for genetic reasons, but I find it hard to believe that parental neglect doesn't play some role in this. I have known some children with bad teeth, for most it was too much sugar and too little teeth-brushing, but I never heard about someone who had to have 10 teeth removed.

Sure, the child is brave - but the parents should draw other conclusions from this than only the one that their child is brave.

I hope the dentist educated them on the effect of coke on teeth and bones.

nanetterose · 17/04/2016 18:41

Of course the little girl has been brave.
I imagine the mum feels quite bad & is making a better situation from what would be very traumatic!
Mind your own is my suggestion.

PortiaCastis · 17/04/2016 18:42

10 extractions seems rather excessive, perhaps the little girl had a problem unrelated to sugar. Do you know of any other reason OP? She was a very brave little girl and rather than bragging I expect her Mum was pleased with how she coped

PaulAnkaTheDog · 17/04/2016 18:45

You're just judging. Whether their diet is a bit off or not, you're just looking for someone here to tell you it's fine to judge.

It's not.

Delacroix · 17/04/2016 18:56

10 extractions might be excessive but not unheard of - there was an article in the paper just a couple of days ago about the increase in whole-mouth extractions. Tooth decay is now the primary reason children are admitted to hospital, and the bill for treatment has increased 61% in five years.

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3540963/Sugar-addict-children-need-tooth-removed-Doctors-reveal-toddlers-sent-hospitals-mouths-cavities.html

2014 article: www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jul/13/teeth-problems-children-hospital-decay-extractions

Sorry, I'm gonna judge with the OP. She's bragging about McFlurries, Coke and PopTarts like it's all some big joke, or she's claiming the tooth decay is a mystery of genetics? It's nothing to be posting all over social media. I knew a little toddler who lost all his teeth due to nothing more mysterious than bottlefuls of Ribena at night. He had to relearn to speak.

ShebaShimmyShake · 17/04/2016 18:56

OP, you are undoubtedly the better mother and you will get to heaven quicker than that unworthy slattern with her rotting children. Ok, feel better now?

x2boys · 17/04/2016 19:05

My son had some teeth removed due to decay he is also severely autistic with learning and I struggle to clean his teeth he also has a rare chromosome disorder which make his teeth more prone to decay but you know judge away.Hmm

FreshHorizons · 17/04/2016 19:07

My dentist regularly sees children with that amount of extractions and he puts it entirely down to sugar and is very scathing about parents who allow it to happen.
I have seen posts on here where parents won't force their 2 yr old to have their teeth brushed. It is non negotiable IMO. I have also seen posts by parents who want their child to have a sugary drink in school rather than water!!

Gide · 17/04/2016 19:07

YANBU.

Judydreamsofhorses · 17/04/2016 19:08

I had ten teeth out when I was about ten years old - my "big" teeth are very large, and as they started to push through my mouth was getting crowded. I then needed a further four adult teeth removed. I now have very nice, straight teeth, but bloody hell, it was grim at the time. I can remember getting a load of books as a reward for being brave.