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Mom Outraged, School Dental Program Removes Child's Teeth Without Her Knowing

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A mother is outraged after her third grader came home from school with three of his teeth missing. She says his elementary school performed a dental procedure she never knew about.

A Baltimore City mom is looking for answers: Why did the school allow serious dental work -- without making a single phone call to parents.

9-year-old Michael is still brought to tears by the pain. He's now missing three teeth -- pulled out by a dental program visiting his school. His mother, Shanda Flemming, tells WJZ she never was notified that the procedure was happening.

"And then two on this side. One top and one bottom," says Flemming.

Baltimore City Schools says Flemming signed a permission slip, but Flemming thought it was for routine cleanings.

"I'm angry about this. I don't think that it should have happened like that," says Flemming.

She says she was blindsided when Michael came home with a swollen mouth.

"They just said they was gonna clean my teeth," says Michael.

But there's more -- the procedure caused Michael to miss the bus, meaning he had to walk almost a full mile to get back home.

"He walked home alone after having three teeth extracted from his mouth. He could have fell out or anything," says Flemming.

These school dental programs became more common after Prince George's County boy died from an infected tooth in 2007. Baltimore Public Schools, declined WJZ's request to comment still has not answered some major questions:
Why didn't the school alert the mother? Why was Michael allowed to walk home alone? And why wasn't he given medication after the procedure?

"I just don't understand how a school or a company can take it in their hands to do something like this to a child," says Flemming.

A 3rd grader now healing up and this Baltimore mom, on the mission for answers.  Again, Baltimore City Schools declined WJZ's request for comment -- citing HIPAA and privacy concerns. Flemming says her son was already scheduled to see a family dentist on Monday.

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