What would you do?

studio1972

Ok, so I'm editing a client's wedding photographs from a large asian wedding and I come across a photo of a little girl, probably about 2 years old, whose teeth are in a terrible state. Really shockingly bad! :cry This is child abuse in my opinion, but it was not a close family member of the client as far as I can tell. What should I do?

a) Edit out the photo to avoid embarrassment.
b) Leave it in, it is a nice photo apart from the teeth, and maybe it will shame the mother to change her ways?
c) Mention it to the client.
d) Call social services.

I feel in a way that d is the morally right thing to do, but that I will probably go for b. I have attached a cropped version so you can see how bad the teeth are.

Would really appreciate some opinions though.:scratch

sweet caroline

This looks like "baby bottle mouth". It's not all that uncommon, and is usually caused when infants and toddlers fall asleep with milk in their mouths on a regular basis. If the child is under the care of a doctor at all, I'm sure the parents have been made aware of the cause of the condition and admonished not to put the child to bed with a drink other than water. Many parents don't realize there is a problem until the damage has been done. At least they are baby teeth and will fall out in a few years. Anyway, it's usually not a sign of abuse or neglect, just a sign that well meaning parents were ignorant of this potential problem. SO many people find it totally normal to put a baby to bed with a bottle or nursing.

Keep the photo if it's a good shot.

Scootersbabygirl

It can be very difficult for social services to take a child - the situation has to be fairly severe in most states for them to do so. I agree with Caroline that it looks like baby bottle rot - my niece had this same thing and has beautiful teeth today. Are the parents having the child brush their teeth? Doesn't look like it, but that will likely change when the child is in school, as they teach about oral hygiene and many schools even have programs where a professional comes into the school to look over their teeth. But I think it's great that you care so much about the situation! So many people don't, and it takes those who do care and who step-up to make a difference in childrens lives. (this is coming from a licensed foster parent )

Qarik

studio1972 wrote: »

Ok, so I'm editing a client's wedding photographs from a large asian wedding and I come across a photo of a little girl, probably about 2 years old, whose teeth are in a terrible state. Really shockingly bad! :cry This is child abuse in my opinion, but it was not a close family member of the client as far as I can tell. What should I do?

a) Edit out the photo to avoid embarrassment.
b) Leave it in, it is a nice photo apart from the teeth, and maybe it will shame the mother to change her ways?
c) Mention it to the client.
d) Call social services.

I feel in a way that d is the morally right thing to do, but that I will probably go for b. I have attached a cropped version so you can see how bad the teeth are.

Would really appreciate some opinions though.

you have no idea what caused the teeth to become like that. calling CPS based on a photo of bad teeth is just wrong.

studio1972

Qarik wrote: »

you have no idea what caused the teeth to become like that. calling CPS based on a photo of bad teeth is just wrong.

Well, I think we all have a pretty good idea what caused it, Tooth decay is a well understood phenomenon. Worst I've ever seen though. I'm not saying that they are actively hurting the child or anything like that, just that this is neglect, which is a form of abuse imho.

The child is too young to complain, or even to understand, of course.

In the end though, I just decided to keep the shot in the set that went to the client. That way it's out there and people who know the family can deal with it if they wish. I really hope they do.

happysmileylady

Qarik wrote: »

you have no idea what caused the teeth to become like that. calling CPS based on a photo of bad teeth is just wrong.

I agree. There are any NUMBER of possibilities:

*The child could be ill and on medications that causes the teeth to be weak and prone to decay.
*The child could have been ill in the past and on medications that caused the teeth to develop improperly
*The child could have been ill and the illness itself caused the teeth to develop improperly
*The child could have an illness right now that has symptoms that cause tooth decay
*The child could have been adopted or is a foster child and the previous parents are responsible for the decay issue
*The child could have been in a terrible accident that caused the teeth to be broken/chipped/cracked etc and it may have been determined by their dentist to be better to simply leave them to fall out on their own rather than to pull them.

Gosh, it's a good thing my school photographer in kindergarten didn't think like you. My top two incisors came in with giant holes in them. Right there in front, every time I smiled, there were those awful holes. They didn't hurt, the teeth themselves were healthy and despite how large the holes were, they didn't increase in size as I got older. I brushed regularly and as the oldest of 4, in a family that moved a LOT in my early childhood, my mom simply could not get me to a dentist the moment the teeth emerged like that. When I was in 1st grade, I did get to the dentist and they were filled, but only for cosmetic reasons. There was nothing actually wrong with the teeth other than their appearance. It certainly looked like my parents never made me brush my teeth, but I assure you that was not the case. Sometimes even a photograph doesn't really tell the whole story.

Nickj

I am with caroline Its look like the bottom face of a child. I think if the parents of this child consult the doctor and develop the habit in their child of regular brush there teeth than this problem will be sort out.

Debashis_A_ghosh

i think you should help the poor child by reporting this issue to the CPS.