A Story of Concern: Frankie Pulls His Own Tooth

As hard as we try, we don’t always catch problems before they come to a head. This was the case with Frankie.

Frankie is a student in Anderson County, Tennessee, who was suffering from excruciating tooth pain. Unfortunately, his parents were unable or unwilling to provide Frankie with the appropriate dental care to treat his pain.

Frankie, scared and in pain, took matters into his own hands. With a pair of household pliers, he attempted to extract his own tooth. Instead he crushed the tooth, leaving the roots in the gums.

Seen afterwards by a Children’s Mobile Dental (CMD) dentist, some of Frankie’s immediate problems were treated but required extensive follow-up.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the CMD unit was unable to return to Frankie’s school the next year. Consequently his follow-up was performed in-home, facilitated by Elgin Foundation. A CMD dentist visited Frankie’s home five times over the course of that year to provide as much treatment as the situation allowed. Despite the Foundation’s offer to pay for transportation, Frankie’s mother would not allow him to be transported to a dental office for proper follow-up work.

Educating parents on the importance of proper dental care and the availability of oftentimes free treatment for their children is crucial to ensuring students have the proper attention necessary for health and happiness.