tooth brushing requirement is a state mandate

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

tooth brushing requirement is a state mandate

Now, if only the Brits would follow suit!

[Sofiyya 1,687]

i hear they're also mandating feeding solid foods to infants 4 months and older.

Jenn, get your kid an agent, The camera loves him.

[luckytxn 2,264]

The Feds getting involved in the lives of anyone was always about controlling the citizenry.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The Feds getting involved in the lives of anyone was always about controlling the citizenry.

It was the State of Mass., but my anti-federalist friend.

[Peikko 1,575]

The Feds getting involved in the lives of anyone was always about controlling the citizenry.

How are the 'citizens' being 'controlled'? Parents can opt out of getting their children into good teeth brushing habits if they so choose. Would you opt out just to prove you can't be 'controlled' by the state?

[Anna C. 4]

Glad I don't live there. My kids were fed straight breast milk for the first 6 months.

I'm so glad I don't have to use daycares. Imagine they force solids on a breastfed baby that isn't ready for solids. That's downright abuse! My son didn't want anything to do with solids until he was 11 months old. He preferred nursing....

I would opt out of the tooth brushing. I don't want fluoride toothpastes which I bet they provide (they are not to be used with kids who cannot rinse yet, because toddlers will swallow it and it is harmful, I bet daycare providers don't care about that)... God knows how rudely they will brush. It sets the kids up for hating teeth brushing. Apart from that, it is totally ridic to introduce such a law. Nanny state. And obviously from the article it is not parents who want this law, it is health department people who think parents neglect their kids since 1 in 4 have tooth decay so the nanny state has to intervene.

Instead they could hand out better feeding guidelines, such as no formula bottles to fall asleep (which causes a lot of decay), no juice for kids who cannot brush their teeth yet (juice is full of sugar and not really nutritious, a big evil guy when it comes to tooth decay) and such... plus I didn't have to brush my son's teeth for the very reason that he didn't want solids - breastmilk doesn't cause tooth decay (yes, it has sugar, but also antibodies that kill decay causing bacteria). So forcing solids on kids will even make the problem worse.

How about good old fashioned PARENTAL RIGHTS? So many things are forced onto parents in this country, it's horrible.

[Peikko 1,575]

It's only required for kids who have had a meal, breast milk fed babies will not have had a meal. You can opt out (as you mentioned) so no one is forcing parents to do anything, your parental rights would remain intact (were you to you live in Massachusettes).

If a quarter of the kids in day care have tooth decay, then something should be done. There may be other things that can be done as well as you pointed out. Nanny state it is not. Ensuring good standards of day care it is.

Edited January 31, 2010 by Madame Cleo

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I'm so glad I don't have to use daycares. Imagine they force solids on a breastfed baby that isn't ready for solids. That's downright abuse! My son didn't want anything to do with solids until he was 11 months old. He preferred nursing....

I would opt out of the tooth brushing. I don't want fluoride toothpastes which I bet they provide (they are not to be used with kids who cannot rinse yet, because toddlers will swallow it and it is harmful, I bet daycare providers don't care about that)... God knows how rudely they will brush. It sets the kids up for hating teeth brushing. Apart from that, it is totally ridic to introduce such a law. Nanny state. And obviously from the article it is not parents who want this law, it is health department people who think parents neglect their kids since 1 in 4 have tooth decay so the nanny state has to intervene.

Instead they could hand out better feeding guidelines, such as no formula bottles to fall asleep (which causes a lot of decay), no juice for kids who cannot brush their teeth yet (juice is full of sugar and not really nutritious, a big evil guy when it comes to tooth decay) and such... plus I didn't have to brush my son's teeth for the very reason that he didn't want solids - breastmilk doesn't cause tooth decay (yes, it has sugar, but also antibodies that kill decay causing bacteria). So forcing solids on kids will even make the problem worse.

How about good old fashioned PARENTAL RIGHTS? So many things are forced onto parents in this country, it's horrible.

It's the welfare of the child that the state is concerned about, which trumps parental rights. You don't have the parental right to neglect your child.

Regulating child care providers is not easy, but taking the step to help children have healthy teeth while developing good oral hygiene is well intentioned endeavor. Schools (K-12) have many regulations as well, and it's a careful balancing act to put the best interests of the child against parental rights and responsibilities.

[Darnell 8,478]

Nicole is my favorite advocate in the war against gingivitis !

[Darnell 8,478]

How are the 'citizens' being 'controlled'? Parents can opt out of getting their children into good teeth brushing habits if they so choose. Would you opt out just to prove you can't be 'controlled' by the state?

I compare this 'action' to 'state mandated immunizations' . I feel it falls into the same category.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I compare this 'action' to 'state mandated immunizations' . I feel it falls into the same category.

Good comparison. It's preventative and will save parents hundreds if not, thousands of dollars in the long run, not to mention the savings to the state.

[lostinblue 1,989]

Warning: Keep out of the reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately......................

You are correct this goes right at the heart of obamacare......TORT REFORM........Case in point. A child is in a day care center. . Say 30 children are enrolled. What is going to happen. Johnny go brush your teeth. Now you are busy changing a few infants You really don't notice that the kid swallows the tooth paste and he feels sick . maybe because of the flu but I bet a trial lawyer can turn it around and sue the day care for mega bucks because of the above warning. More payola for one of obama's biggest support groups . the trial lawyers.

[Peikko 1,575]

A fictional case can't be a 'case in point'. I am sure day care facilities are very aware of the dangers of toothpaste and are perfectly able keep all such items out of the hands of their charges. You are suggesting that day care workers are stupid. Well, if you believe that, don't put your kids into day care and problem solved.

[Ali G. 37]

You are correct this goes right at the heart of obamacare......TORT REFORM........Case in point. A child is in a day care center. . Say 30 children are enrolled. What is going to happen. Johnny go brush your teeth. Now you are busy changing a few infants You really don't notice that the kid swallows the tooth paste and he feels sick . maybe because of the flu but I bet a trial lawyer can turn it around and sue the day care for mega bucks because of the above warning. More payola for one of obama's biggest support groups . the trial lawyers.

You are wrong with ridiculing this law. It's like saying how dare they ban trans fat or smoking in public places.

However, where you are spot on is regarding the lawsuit scenario. If republicans focused more on this sort of stuff than other rubbish, like your initial intention of the article, you would have more supporters. This is like being able to sue pharmaceutical companies because there are side effects. No sh-t there are side-effects... Newsflash, every single medication has some sort of side effect. That is the sort of ####### that has killed the quality of health care here.

Slogans like 'Obamacare ain't telling me what to do' is idiotic. Second newsflash, the majority of the world uses a form of 'Obamacare' and their health system craps all over the US. If you were ranked first, I would understand people saying don' touch the system. But you are not.

A fictional case can't be a 'case in point'. I am sure day care facilities are very aware of the dangers of toothpaste and are perfectly able keep all such items out of the hands of their charges. You are suggesting that day care workers are stupid. Well, if you believe that, don't put your kids into day care and problem solved.

Being that this is the US, hypothetically it can be used. They are not wrong in saying that people could would sue for millions here for something as silly as that. Whereas the same case presented under the English law of tort in a UK/Aus court, would be thrown out the window.

Edited January 31, 2010 by Booyah

[Peikko 1,575]

Don't get me started on the problems with allowing the pharmaceutical industry to run rings around law. Pharmaceutical companies want to make money. In the US they market their drugs, suppressing side effect information and promoting each drug as a cure all. If it doesn't make enough money being used for the problem it was designed to be used for, find another disease and sell it for that, no matter whether it works or not, no matter whether the disease even exists or not. Bah, humbug!