Panorama: spoilt rotten

[Meglet]

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I dont believe for a minute that those mothers were just putting milk in the bottles.I mean that 3 yr old had 8 teeth extracted good grief how difficult is it to clean a childs teeth? You dont need to be educated to know about teeth cleaning.I was upset at seeing all of those toddlers getting copius amounts of teeth extracted and then their poor mummies crying because they had to go under general anesthetic. In my opinion it is abusive and sheer neglect.I understand that not all people are lucky with good teeth but the show last night was about preventable things.........

All the mothers were defensive and not taking responsibility for their children only one mother admitted that she had been giving her toddler 6 choc pops a day!!!!!The obese child was very upsetting and I would imagine that the mother is extremely difficult to change I was shocked by the amount of food she was giving her child and as for the wheelchair I nearly cried, what hope is there for him.
As for the child drinking vodka and the mother saying that there was nothing she could do WTF!!!!!!! Its pathetic why do people have kids if they cant even meet the basic needs of a child....like teeth cleaning, never mind the rest. Sorry for the rant but its just upsetting seeing that I wish I hadnt watched it.

Riven, from what i understand the children were going to sleep with the bottles so that the contents were staying on their teeth all night, with no brushing before bed. Just leaving a layer on teeth for hours to affect the enamel. I think thats the issue.

I really get pissed off at any parent saying "well, what can you do?"

Well, quite a lot actually.

Middle class parents do it too saying "well, that's what kids do" (after child had wrecked my sitting room).

No, that is what kids do IF YOU LET THEM.

Why are parents frightened of instilling values and disciple in their children?

It is discipline to only have 1 lolly, not 5...I'm not referring to discipline in the perjoritive, punishing sense.

I have my judgey pants on too. I'm that these kids end up ill because of the parents. How are the kids going to feel when they grow up and realise that, e.g., smoking was more important to their dad than their hearing?!

Very depressing. And yes, like others I worried that the prog was merely inducing schadenfreude when nothing was actually being done for those children. Though, as already pointed out, if the doctors were more assertive the mothers might just refuse to go. Having said that, the bit where the doctor said he was actually unaware of the wheelchair (and then seemed to suggest she should 'return it' - to the hospital? so presumably someone had allowed/given it? so why didn't he know?) indicated that things were just being allowed to slide....presumably towards heart disease and early death..

There is a boy down the road from me. Lovely little lad, has been over for playdates since the age of 3yrs old (he used to let himself out of the house) and I used to ring the mum to say he was at my house, she was never really bothered
Anyway he will be 9yrs old this year and he still loves coming over and he told me that my house and garden are lovely and clean.
At his home his uncle, mum and grandma all chain smoke in the house and they have 4 dogs and 6 cats and up to last year had chickens that roamed all round the garden so they can't use the backgarden anyway (full of poo!)
But he finally has some teeth coming throuhg as ALL his baby teeth had to be taken out at 3yrs old because they had rotted as his mum thought it was a good idea to send him to bed with a bottle of ribena .
But I don't think she did anything on purpose, it's just what they know and apart from that he does not have many illnesses and no breathing problems.

if the doctors were more assertive the mothers might just refuse to go

The doctors are bound by management guidelines as to how to handle these situations and fear of a punch on the nose in Alder Hey.
If a middle class couple walked into a different hospital the doctors and dentists seem to have no such fear of holding back.
My daughter had two rotten baby teeth removed caused by too much fruit juice, because she wouldn't eat fruit she drank it in a beaker not a bottle. They took 2 teeth out and then 6 months later found another 2 so, really an error on their part and then gave me a dressing down about her eating habits and the dangers of GA in young children.

I just dont get "its just what they know" I have had 3 children in the last 5 years and the parents are given loads of info about healthy eating and healthy teeth, they just arent listening and after watching that programme most of them are too stubborn or negligent/selfish to change their ways.

I dont care if I am being judgemental I am totally disgusted by the content of that programme.Especailly when it is sucking up valuable time and money in the NHS.

I didn't know juice was a problem. Mostly apple and orange juice. My son who is almost 2 drinks loads of juice. He also eats lots of fruit. He never eats sweets or chocolate. I can hardly get him to eat anything at the moment so I thought at least he was drinking lots of juice. I brush his teeth every night but now I'm worried I'm causing him problems.

Feel a bit teary actually.

Fruit acid is worse than sweets I was told and when I argued back that at least there was nutritional value in the fruit they basically called me a liar and said it must be other things too. Now she still won't eat fruit and veg and I'm scared to give her the juice too
Apparently raisins are very bad because they stick to the teeth, although my eldest ate 3 mini boxes a day and her teeth are perfect.

Figures, just when you think you are doing whaqts best for your child. I have been so pleased that my kids don't eat sweets and fill up on fruit for snacks. How did I miss this?

Saw the mum with the child and the lollypops, had to turn over when she said he gets 4/5 a day but she doesn't give him sweets.

I'dHaveJudgedMyArseOffIfI'dStayedLongerSoILeftTiggaxx

Its everything in moderation, however I do believe if you look after your teeth ( by regular cleaning 2-3 times a day) then your children will be ok. I also think flossing is just as important.

Everythingiseverything I brush his teeth after lunch and before bed not neccessarily after he has had juice. Did the dentist say why not to brush after?

Brushing straight after eating damages the enamel which is softened when you eat. You should brush 30 mins after eating. Keep juice to a drink with meals, and give water at other times.

Don't be too judgmental about teeth - my neice has had a lot of problems with teeth, and it is entirely down to having inherited very dodgy enamel. Ds1 has a mark on his front tooth which looks like decay, but is in fact down to the sheets of enamel being laid down slightly wonkily as a newborn (when the big teeth are formed). There is no decay, but people have asked. When he is bigger there is stuff we can do, but advice atm is to leave it.

I'll try giving him water at other times. I'll have to be more forceful he usually won't drink it. I tried giving him only water and he didn't drink all day. Its tough to when he is hardly eating.

Paula, don't beat yourself up about it just look to changing the future. Perhaps you could dilute the juice a little at first, then each time add more water and less juice IYSWIM? I'm no expert obviously. Cold turkey may be better.

I agree there's an element of luck with teeth. I've always been rubbish at looking after my teeth and they are better than a lot of kids I know. I just have outrageously strong teeth/enamel. DD's seem the same.

But I realised I can't rely on that anymore, we need to change! My parents never told me how to look after them, DH is the same, but we going to work much harder at it. Reward charts for all 4 of us I think!

we're not we

AIBU to very nearly be crying? I literally have watched just the beginning with Leon. He weights more than me, I'm a 5ft 6 average sized young woman!

Another one here who's children have "middle class" tooth decay; in DS1's case it was watered down fresh orange juice and raisins and dried apricots that affected his baby teeth (his adult teeth are good so far)and in DS3's case i think it was breastfeeding him until he was three, he often fell asleep for naps etc. with a little pool of breastmilk in his mouth.

Genetic factors also have an effect, my kids have thin enamel like me and got teeth ridiculously early at 6 weeks (not easy to brush the teeth of a tiny baby in the middle of the night without waking them.

I think they should put flouride in the water. Anyone worried about too much water could choose to switch to flouride free toothpaste.

lazy parenting,the obese boy broke my heart.

My dh has no enamel on his teeth as his Mum used to send him to bed on a bottle of orange squash,he also had childhood asthma as both his parents used to smoke around him.He says he remembers going camping with them in their little camper van & he would be asleep over the drivers seat & the smoke would waft up over him.

The prog last night made very sad viewing.

the kids on that show, their teeth had rotted away... with the best will in the world their parents had failed them completely, there's no way they'd bothered their backsides even to brush their kids' teeth because had they done so they would have taken them to the dentist and been read the riot act. there is no reason for anyone on here to be feeling bad about that show, i guarantee it. the minute you'd see a spot of decay you'd be down the dentists in a heartbeat. that is not what happened here, it was a bullshit scaremongering show that i bet didn't reach anyone whose child is affected by the issues.