Mom Shocked to Discover Son Had Teeth Removed at School

A Baltimore mom says her third-grader had to walk home alone after having three teeth removed at school—without her knowledge, WJZ reports. Shanda Flemming wants answers after a dental program visiting her son's school performed a serious procedure on 9-year-old Michael, who she says arrived home in pain and with a swollen face. Visiting dental programs became more common in Baltimore after a child died from an infected tooth in 2007. And while Flemming signed a permission slip, she thought it was only for routine teeth cleanings.

To make matters worse, having three teeth pulled took so long that Michael missed his bus and had to walk home alone, Flemming says. She wants to know why the school didn't call her about any of this. The school, citing privacy laws, didn't answer WJZ's questions about why Flemming wasn't notified, why Michael wasn't given medication following the procedure, and why Michael was allowed to walk home alone. (More dental health stories.)