The Deamonte Driver Case

This incident was probably the worst thing that had ever occurred in this public school. The student who actually ended up losing his life at 12 years old was Deamonte Driver. His case of death was actually a simple tooth infection. There were also reports that claimed that, had the tooth been taken out using an $80 procedure, his death could have definitely been avoided.

No Money

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This would have never been a problem but there were actually some issues that lead to this unfortunate happening. Due to the fact that his mother had no insurance and the operation was a little too costly, she could not afford to save her boy. So then, just because of these minor problems, a life, a young boy’s life was lost.  It was such a shock to anyone and everyone who had heard about it.

Sweeping Dental Reform

Driver’s death was something that brought about some changes in the system that was followed. After Deamonte’s death, the state of Maryland started reforming how the dental care for children was being handled. The school made very drastic changes too. The Children’s Dental Campaign gave the state its approval and its praises. The changes made were done in the hopes that the conditions get better.

The Reforms

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So after a student had lost his life because of money, the district made adjustments in the hope that the in-school intervention would result in something better. The deaths like Deamonte’s could hopefully be avoided now that they were reformed. Sadly for Shanda’s son Michael, these changes did not do any favors. In fact,they resulted in a serious complication.

Just Cleaning

On paper, the idea that the schools would organize these health programs was something that would delight any parent. Who would not want their kids to get health care for free in school? And so, initially, Shanda was grateful that the school gave free cleanings for the students. That day, she had no problem dropping Michael off to school for his dental check-up.

3 Of Them

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When the day went by, Shanda did not expect anything to go wrong. When it was time for her son to come home, she was expecting a happy kid who had a nice time at the dentists’. But what came home to her was something that all parents would not want. He got home with tears in his eyes, probing her to look in his mouth. There were 3 teeth missing from her son’s mouth!