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American Dental Association Statement on the Death of Deamonte Driver
CHICAGO, March 2, 2007--We are deeply saddened at the apparently avoidable death of 12-year-old Deamonte Driver, Prince George's County, Md., from a severe brain infection that may have resulted from his deplorable degree of untreated dental disease. This is an extreme example of what then-Surgeon General David Satcher called a ``silent epidemic'' of untreated oral disease in his landmark report on oral health in 2000.
Deamonte's death should be a wake-up call to the nation. It is a national disgrace that in the 21st Century America, millions of children don't have access to basic preventive and restorative dental care. Thousands of these kids suffer from profound dental disease--they can't eat or sleep properly, can't pay attention in school because they're suffering from chronic infections and the resulting constant pain that could have been prevented and easily relieved through treatment.
Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop once said that if you don't have good oral health, you aren't healthy. Increasingly, science is bearing this out. Good oral health isn't just about teeth and gums. It's about overall health, about preventing and controlling non-oral diseases, about learning and development, self-esteem and employability. And it's everyone's business, not just dentists'.
It's time for action to prevent the next child's needless death; to end society's neglect of the oral health of the most vulnerable among us. Dentists can lead the way, but we can't do this alone. We need state and federal public officials to stop shortchanging dental programs, which costs all of us heavily in the long run. We need water fluoridation and the universal availability of preventive care, both of which are surefire investments that produce healthier, more productive young people. And we need to educate all parents about taking care of their children's oral health.
It's too late for Deamonte Driver. We as a nation owe it to our children to fix the system that let him down.
Posted by stymielymie (Member # 10044) on :
i thught you were a brain surgeon caveey!!!!!
this story is more dramatic than things really are, unless thing went downhill since i left practice.
almost every school in the county has a dental screening at least 2-3 times while the child in in 1-6 grade. the ada has a large program with this ,and mnay dentist,nyself included, would treat these kids for nothing.
many hygienists, including my own, went to schools, usally paid by the dentist to volunteer in these programs.
caveey, i bet you were at many schools in your career????
parents must take resposibility too. everything in the world has high doses of sugear in it.including cereals.
the dentists and hygienists many years ago had gotten the sugar removed from many cereals, but now, sweet sells cereal, even cherrios has heavy sugar.
this is a professional oppinion from a doctor trained in the field of dentistry, and reflects my personal oppion only. docdave Posted by Geneal (Member # 10375) on :
That is so sad.
You know the same thing can happen with ear infections too.
I once worked with this beautiful little boy, who was "normal" at birth.
Had an ear infection that went untreated. He is now brain damaged for the rest of his life.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posted by stymielymie (Member # 10044) on :
i would guess that the kids coming out of school have $200-500,000 student loans. so the last thing they are concerned about is volunteering to help in kids programs.
crest used to have a good program but i guess it didn't make them enough money so they stopped that also.
many states still have title 19 but i guess most dentists don't take it.
you can scrape out whats left of my brain anytime.
daveey Posted by Cobweb (Member # 10053) on :
"RATS"
That's not something you want to hear your dentist say when he has "just one more little adjustment" before attaching the crown.
It was to be my last appointment for a while. The tooth had already broken once, had a root canal,a couple of screws, a temporary crown, and I was in for the final visit.
The tooth didn't hurt nearly so much as my jaw did from keeping my mouth open for so long with a blue rubber trampoline in it.
"RATS" he said. The tooth had broken again-right down the middle. I told him to yank it. Enough was enough.
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