Sometimes This Job Makes Me Sad

[NiNi.R.]

4 yr old DCG comes up to me and says I have a cavity. I said uh oh you do? When did you go see the dentist? (knowing her older sister has been to the dentist but 4 yr old DCG has not). She said I haven't been to the dentist. So I asked her how she knew she had a cavity. She said a little friend of hers noticed one night when she was talking (this was not during my care). Figuring they were "pretending" I said let me see. She showed me one of her eye teeth that seemed a little discolored. So as I began examining her mouth closer I noticed several teeth were kinda brownish in color. I asked her if her mommy helped her brush her teeth and she replied no. I asked if she brushed her teeth every night and she replied no only sometimes.

I decided to grab a tooth brush and some floss. Her gums were bleeding horribly. The spot she showed me originally emerged to be a dark brown spot the size of an eraser on a pencil. Some of her molars clearly were rotting.

I plan to point this out to DCM tonight. Now I'm all for kids doing things on their own to the best of their ability. My 3 yr old DD also brushes her own teeth and then when she is finished I take a turn on them.

I know this mom will take her to the dentist as soon as she finds out. She is not the type of parent to just blow those things off once she is actually aware. For example. 4 yr old DCG was cramming her foot into a shoe that was 2 sizes to small. When I pointed it out to her she went out and bought her a new pair right away.( I have several examples of this type of thing that have happened with her 2 children) So I know when I show her her teeth she will make her a dentist appointment right away.

What is sad to me that this mom works such long hours that she doesn't notice things like this and has to be pointed out something that seems pretty obvious to me. even though I don't think she is meaning to neglect her children it seems to be the case until someone points out what she needs to correct.

[sharlan]

That is one of the pluses of having a good daycare provider. You take a look and tell the mom that this needs to be taken care of.

Sometimes working parents just get caught up in life and miss the small things.

This family is very fortunate to have you be a part of their lives.

[Michael]

I would let the parents know. Some parents think they don't have to spend money on baby teeth since it is not their permanent teeth. It still creates a bad hygiene environment for the adult teeth to grow in.