To think this isn't something to brag about?

[FuckSanta]

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!

Learning disabilities *

I don't necessarily think sugary drinks and a terrible diet is great for kids, it could be considered neglect.

However, I don't go around judging parents unnecessarily who do make these decisions. Their kids, their choice to make.

You're just being moany & judgemental. It's not nice.

Fruit sugars are just as bad, if not worse.

It is a no brainier that if they are drinking from a water bottle all day it needs to be water.
Children have to have their teeth regularly brushed whether they like it or not and however difficult.. Our orthodontist was quite clear with my DS and if he didn't brush properly with his brace on I had to do it- regardless of the fact that he was 14yrs old.

My daughter is 5 and having a tooth out at some point in the next month it had a pinhole in and then the top of the tooth collapsed in on itself. She's also having a few looked at, I've had people say it's child neglect and cruelty and understand it is extremely painful but I am going to be proud of her for being so brave even if it puts me in a bad light to people who think this way.

She is a nightmare eater and that combined with a process in her body regarding it calcium and due to genes and other factors she has poor quality teeth though I know diet can play a big part.

I've brushed them since the first ones came through always for 2 mins twice a day with correct toothpaste. We had timer from the dentist to start with and she's has had an electric toothbrush for the past 6 months and they are always done by an adult (as advised up until they can tie their shoe laces with no issues themselves) she doesn't have a high sugar diet not with me anyway! On the odd occasion she has juice she's never had it in a bottle and 99% of the time she's always had water. With me she has never had coke or anything of the kind. I am seperated and my ex doesn't always listen she had a slush yesterday full of sugar I had my rant! The majority of it will be his it's ok every now again attitude!

If there was something more I could do then I would. I am not going to enjoy her having to go under a general as it has its risks but there is much more I could have done personally she's got a meeting about her eating disorder once she's been into hospital.

there isn't much more I could have done*

My eldest needed 7 removed due to decay, she has issues that caused it, but no one on my facebook would know that. and i posted about being proud of her, cos regardless of why, she WAS brave and I WAS proud of how well she coped.

So at 5 she has had half of her teeth removed due to decay , unless she is one of those rare people who are born with no or very little enamel then I too would be a teeny bit judgy , yes the little girl has been brave , but are we all going to be less judgy in 10 years time when she has to have false teeth ?

Of course there are a whole host of other reasons why a child's teeth may be at greater risk , but that doesn't mean that a really crap diet won't cause it as well and the OP is clear that in this instance this is the case . If she is completely wrong then she YABU !

Giving coke to a 5 year old is neglect.

Fuck. Off.

The privilege on this site astounds me sometimes. It's actually offensive. If you think coke is neglect, what would you call real neglect? You know, young kids left aline for young periods of time. Or kids with no food because their parents are addicts.

Head shaking.

Surely you should be thinking poorly of the PARENTS, not the child.

They are responsible for her decaying teeth, not a five year old.

The child was brave. And she has to live with crappy parents who let this happen. Feel for her.

I don't drink Coke myself because there's nothing of even slightly nutritional value in it. As others have said, it's actually harmful in terms of calcium levels. Several things are bad about it: it's fizzy, it's full of sugar and/or sweeteners and it has caffeine in it. I don't drink caffeine myself. I'm not going to put it anywhere near my 5 year old.

The child was brave. And she has to live with crappy parents who let this happen. Feel for her.

I do. (Her parents have recently separated so I suspect there are even more treats than usual.)

The kid is brave to have had that done. I had 4 removed and the pain hours later was awful. 10 must be hideous.

It's just a shame the mum doesn't realise or care that her having that many teeth removed is probably largely down to the poor diet she has, the diet she 'brags about'. She sounds like from what you've said that she just feels bad because it's been done not why it's been done.

She's bragging about what her kids eat (which appears to be shit) and the fact that the dentist has put a ban on it. She sounds a bit dippy tbh.

But don't let it annoy you, let them craic on!

I would silently judge too OP

Yes Veryproud of course that is true , and as I mentioned there are of course lots of reasons why baby teeth might be at greater risk , but if the diet that the OP suggests is what is actually being consumed all the time is true , then it isn't a massive leap to think that the adult teeth might come under some stress too !

ClopySow had to do my yearly child protection training at work the other day and severe dental decay was up there as a picture of neglect , of course there are unfortunately far worse images and instances of neglect

My 7 yr old son has recently had 2 teeth extracted due to decay. The second one was quite an ordeal so bless the girl who had 10 out! I think some children's teeth must be weaker than others, as I did nothing different tooth care wise with him than the other 3.

My DS had tonnes of steroids & antibiotics as a baby when his teeth were developing, which has significantly weakened them. We brush twice a day & he has them brushed once at nursery after lunch. His teeth are so weak & one is significantly decayed - he's had putty put in his teeth to prevent worsening decay.

The Dentist confirmed that the amount of steroids & antibiotics at such a significant time of tooth development had caused this. But it couldn't be helped as DS was so ill in hospital.

I was so ashamed that people would judge me, when I've done all I can - completely limited sugary foods, fruit only with meals, no crisps, only milk/water.

I'd be so ashamed if somebody judged me for my sons teeth like this. Considering I eat tonnes of crap & sugar & have only ever had one filling!

Ds is now under the special needs dentist who is lovely and doesn't judge and knows how hard it is to get a child with severe autism to even open their mouth let alone brush their teeth he has a three headed special needs tooth brush plus none foaming tooth paste due to his sensory issues so I do try.