Townhall.com
Michelle Malkin
March 28, 2018

How sharper than a serpent's tooth to have a despotic pediatric dentist.

Parents who decide, for whatever reason, that they don't like their children's oral care provider should be forewarned. Empowered by government "mandatory reporter" laws, dental offices are now using their authority to threaten families with child abuse charges if they don't comply with the cavity police.

Mom Trey Hoyumpa shared a letter last week on Facebook from a dental office called Smiles 4 Keeps in Bartonsville, Pennsylvania. It informed her that if she did not make a dental appointment for "regular professional cleanings" for her child, she could be charged with "dental neglect." Citing a law called Pennsylvania Act 31 on child abuse recognition and reporting, the dental office threatened to report the mom to state authorities if she did not schedule an appointment.

Hoyumpa wrote: "Smiles 4 Keeps bullies the parents, controls the care behind closed doors, and turns parents into villains...and I will not stand for it anymore!!!"

On social media, parents who've encountered the toxic alliance of snoopy medical providers and child welfare agencies shared their own experiences with government bullies who operate on a presumption of guilt.

Brett Darken wrote: "Anyone familiar with 'family court,' DCF, state probate and guardianship courts know well this story. In any other context, it would be considered a threat, coercion and intimidation under RICO laws. But because it's the government, it's legal."

This is a menacing threat to have hanging over customers of dental practices, or any medical providers for that matter: If you leave, you better tell us where you are going or we could report you to government child welfare agencies for suspected abuse.

One Twitter commenter wondered: "Is this fake?"

Unfortunately, it's all too real, and the dental office is championing an intrusive practice that is likely to spread.

Smiles 4 Keeps replied to parental criticism on Facebook by quoting the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry definition of "dental neglect" as the "willful failure of parent or guardian to seek and follow through with treatment necessary to ensure a level of oral health essential for adequate function and freedom from pain and infection."

The dental office also defended its intimidation letter to the mom by explaining that physicians and dentists are "mandated reporters" who are "required to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect to social service or law enforcement agencies in order to prevent such tragedy."

But as investigative reporter Terri LaPoint at MedicalKidnap.com points out, nowhere has Smiles 4 Keeps provided any evidence that Trey Hoyumpa was neglectful or abusive in any way. Moreover, Smiles 4 Keeps insists that parents provide the name of a new dentist if the family chooses to find a new provider. Hoyumpa was just one of 17 recipients of the threatening Smiles 4 Keeps salvos.

Dr. Ross Wezmar of Smiles 4 Keeps actually boasted to local news station WNEP about the snitch letters' ability "to jar the parent to realize that with a child comes responsibility." Benevolent Dr. Marcus Welby he is not. Wezmar claimed his bully notes are the first in the nation to be dispatched. With the encroachment of socialized medicine in America, they certainly won't be the last.

Think it can't happen to you? Last year, in Ontario, Canada, mom Melissa Lopez wanted a second opinion on getting fillings for her daughter and decided to change providers. The jilted dentist, as Lenore Skenazy reported on Reason.com, called Child Protective Services to report possible "oral neglect." The case was dismissed, but CPS refuses to remove Lopez's file from its books -- it is part of a permanent record that keeps a permanent cloud of suspicion over her.

Skenazy drills down to the core: "The issue here is how easy it is to drag a family into an abuse investigation, and how hard it is for the family, like an impacted molar, to get itself extracted."

Indeed, the partnership between medical providers and government child welfare services has threatened innocent families across the country under the guise of "protecting the children." It is a short hop from cavity-shaming and misdiagnoses to ripping families apart.

Don't forget the case of Justina Pelletier, savagely torn from her family by Boston Children's Hospital after the prestigious medical institution wrongly accused her parents of causing her chronic illness. BCH locked Justina in a mental ward until her sister published an undercover video of Justina pleading to be reunited with her family. Public outrage forced her release and now the Pelletiers are suing BCH.

Big Nanny monitors hostile to family privacy and autonomy are everywhere -- in your kids' classrooms, cafeterias, and doctors' and dentists' offices. Eternal vigilance against government intrusion is the price of parenthood.

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Back in school I remember reading a book that talked about all of the moonshine being made in the mountains. It seems that government agents would be dispatched into those mountains never to be heard from or seen ever again.

I always wondered why people would behave that way. As time goes on, I have a better understanding.

When I first moved to Houston I saw a Doc that after 11 seconds looking in my mouth declared I needed three crowns. It pissed me off so much I never went back, came to GA to a Doc I trusted and still don't have crowns!

Lying cash whores.

An unholy alliance between big government over reachers and providers all too happy to have gov't bureaucrats mandating their services under threat of child removal and being mired in the 'system' for life. Outrageous.

This is nucking futs.

Health Control pure and simple.

This is the "central government" effect that Obamacare if left to take full root will deliver.

This is why the CDC "Dickey Rule" was implemented. To prevent ever-favorable studies pointing to the need for gun free households....

HK Ag

Holy impacted root Batman.

We need to drill down to root on this B.S.

I remember being taught in grade school, that this was how life was in the Soviet Union.

XST.

It’s funny how dentists are considered to be a “mandatory reporter” yet dental insurance is virtually non existent. Dentists have had the highest suicidal rate in the past.....karma can be a bitch !

I'd be "let me have my kids records please. We'll be finding a new dentist".

When you choose a dentist, scope out the magazines in the waiting room and the pictures on the wall, if he has lots of yachting or boating magazines, pictures of fishing boats, a good tan you might want to find another dentist...

Otherwise you'll get the "you need a (insert procedure) asap" which translated means, "I have a boat payment due"

Our dentist is an avid shooter and NRA member.
The latest issues of AR is always available and in plain view in the waiting area.
A dental nazi he is not.

How much more are we to put up with?

I had a drill and bill dentist when I was in my 20s, she took over the practice after my dentist got a DWI. One day she tells me I need 4 fillings. I sought a 2nd opinion from a friend in dental school and then didn't see a dentist for 3 years. Finally went to a dentist and only thing he did was re-do a filling she did. A year later I had to get a crown on that tooth. My dad still goes to her despite my urging. Thankfully we have a great dentist now, if he's greasing me, he's doing it slowly.

As a dentist, I find this disgusting. Patients always have the right to refuse treatment and seek treatment elsewhere. You document that it was discussed and move on.

It MIGHT be a different story if they came in with a mouth full of severe decay and they clearly refused to do anything about it. Declining routine cleanings is no where close to a "reportable" incident in my eyes.

As someone who takes care of children in that same state with chronic disease who will literally die due to parental medical neglect all I can say is "Good luck with that" to getting Children and Youth Services to act on a "mandated report" of dental neglect! We have cases of neglect of children's medical needs that would make your blood boil and we can't get C&YS to do a darn thing to help those kids. I doubt they'd move a fingernail to act on a report by a dentist of "dental neglect". Those parents should hand write on the notes, "Take a flying leap!" and mail them back to the dentist.

I went in for a crown last month. It was snowing out and I was the first appointment. When I got there my dentist was outside shoveling and spreading salt. I like him. He's cheap like me.

quote:

If you leave, you better tell us where you are going or we could report you to government child welfare agencies for suspected abuse.

I can understand and support reporting true dental neglect to CPS as cavities, cracked teeth, etc. hurt. However, this nanny dental practice just wants to extort their customers so with all of the love and compassion that I can muster I say, "they can stick it up their ass sideways."

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

quote:

If you leave, you better tell us where you are going or we could report you to government child welfare agencies for suspected abuse.

I can understand and support reporting true dental neglect to CPS as cavities, cracked teeth, etc. hurt. However, this nanny dental practice just wants to extort their customers so with all of the love and compassion that I can muster I say, "they can stick it up their ass sideways."

I can not see it. While some may call it "dental neglect" for cavities, let us all call it what it is. Billable hours. From the end of a government gun. Nothing better for your bottom line is having the government force people to come to your business.

We are back to that "incremental thing".

A tiny bit at a time.

And our kids are taking those jobs and we think it is great they are working for the government. "Such great benefits"