Children Apparently Tortured at Dental Office

[carnation]

http://rn-t.com/pages/full_story/pus...ments_20973834

I don't even know what to say. It seems that parents weren't allowed to go back with children, who were then restrained and often had multiple unnecessary procedures performed, often without anesthesia. Parents are saying that often, procedures were performed by hygienists. I can't believe it took this long to get the police involved since there were so many complaints.

[chi-o_cat]

There was a similar story in my area a few years back.

http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Medic...-82206862.html

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by chi-o_cat

There was a similar story in my area a few years back.

http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Medic...-82206862.html

I didn't know you were in my neck of the woods.


This is crazy. I've always been allowed back with my kids...we'd be OUT OF THERE so fast if i wasn't.

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by chi-o_cat

There was a similar story in my area a few years back.

http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Medic...-82206862.html

This is the story ABC News Nightline touched on several times over the years. Horrifying.

[aephi alum]

OMG THAT IS DISGUSTING.

I don't recall either of my parents ever coming into the dental exam room with me when I was a child, but IIRC, there were no doors between the waiting room and the exam room, and if I had screamed, my parents would have run in to see what was going on. (Fortunately, my exams pretty much amounted to, "Let's check your teeth - hey, no cavities, congratulations! I'll do a cleaning and then we'll take a Polaroid of you for our 'Kids With No Cavities Wall'.")

These poor children could be traumatized for life. In these cases, we're talking about baby teeth, but they may grow up so fearful of the dentist that they avoid getting regular cleanings of their adult teeth, and that can lead to gum disease and other nasty things.

[carnation]

http://rn-t.com/view/full_story/2097...ance=home_news

This is really snowballing.

aephialum, I think some were adult teeth that were hacked out of the kids' mouths. I can't imagine.

[AXiDTrish]

PeachCare is subset of Georgia Medicaid, but those on PeachCare aren't always "medicaid eligible" per se. The state decided a couple years ago that children of State of Georgia employee's would be enrolled under PeachCare through Georgia Medicaid as a cost saving effort while the parents are enrolled in whatever commercial carrier the state chooses to contract with for the plan year (Blue Cross, Aetna, whoever. I'm not sure who they are offered). The parents can be making well over the medicaid requirement for state assistance and wouldn't typically be eligible, but because they are state employee's their children roll under the Georgia Medicaid PeachCare umbrella. I don't think employees have the option to opt their children into the commercial carrier rather than PeachCare.

Doctors were up in arms about it when the state announced it because it impacted their revenue. Commercial carriers pay A LOT more than medicaid. Parents weren't thrilled either because they felt their services could be impacted as well as their provider network. It's true (especially in the Rome area!) the many doctors do not want to take Medicaid members.

I may have mangled this explanation a bit, so don't flame me if it isn't exactly right.

[amIblue?]

That is horrifying.

[FSUZeta]

I hope those evil people are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Those poor children(and parents).

[DaffyKD]

My children always went back alone (with each other usually). They would fight to get back to the examination area as there were video games, movies, toys and anything else the doctors could come up with to make going to the dentist fun. Parents were called back if they were needed to soothe a child during the exam and after the exam to get the report. The only crying I usually heard back there in the 18 years we went to this dentist was when a parent told the child it was time to go home.

If a child was crying all of the parents could hear it in the waiting room and the parent of that child would go back to soothe their child. How could these parents not hear their children screaming as they were being tortured? EVERYONE in the Rome office should be prosecuted to the fullest extent for child abuse!

DaffyKD

[AlphaFrog]

^^It said they were locked out.

Now, I'm generally pretty laid back, but if I hear my child screaming in pain, this Mama Tiger is TAKING THAT EFFING DOOR DOWN!

[AZTheta]

What the HELL? WHY? What is WRONG with those "people"? I could hardly get through that article. Looks like the clinic consisted of sociopaths - how else explain the lack of conscience displayed by everyone who worked there?

Then there is the issue of complaints going back to 2008. What's going on here?

I have had the kindest, most amazing, skilled, patient dentists my entire life. At age 3 I knocked out/broke off most of my upper teeth at the gum line in an accident; had abscesses; had a lot of dental work for years that continues today. My dentist at that time (and I was a very young girl) would let me put my hand on his arm to tap him if I got scared or needed a break. That was the level of trust he established. The door was open and my mom or dad was always welcome. My mom told me that I was always calm and never cried or complained, even when it was pretty difficult.

I respect and trust my dentist and have no words for those monsters who have perpetrated numerous crimes on children.

[IrishLake]

This made me ill. I'm right with AlphaFrog. My mother bear instinct would be to beat the ever living pulp out of any dentist hurting my child. We just went to the dentist the other night. My kids love our dentist, he gives them tons of presents, and not just new floss and toothbrushes. When it was my turn for a cleaning, all 3 kids were practically on top of me looking in my mouth while the hygienist cleaned. Well, the baby was on top of me, she was perched on my belly peering into my mouth and looking up at the light. Good thing the hygienist is my SiL/their aunt!

[carnation]

Did y'all read any of the dozens of comments below the article? I'm trying to figure out why this investigation was begun almost 2 years ago and just now came to fruition yesterday.

[KDCat]

They are investigating the records of Medicaid patients. It's very hard for people to find a dentist that will take Medicaid. Most don't. If you do find one, it would be easy to feel like you have to take whatever treatment they hand out, because you might not find another dentist who will treat you. It's the abusive dentist or nothing.

They would never treat a college educated patient population like this. Jerks.