The child flashed his loose tooth and Baltz flicked it, according to reports. His mother rushed him inside when his mouth filled with blood....I've rarely read such a short story with so many unbelievable elements.
Baltz told police he had permission to pull the tooth. He also said his father and grandfather were dentists, so he "knew what he was doing."
July 3, 2013
Roving drunk dentistry in Wisconsin.
The LaCrosse Tribune has this story about a 9-year-old boy, who was sitting with this mother — according to the mother's report to the police — at an outdoor café, when up walked Curtis Baltz — a 36-year-old man whose alcohol level was later tested at 0.20. Baltz said "What’s wrong with your tooth?"
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34 comments:
It might be unbelievable, but it's the TOOTH.
His girlfriend told police he does“stupid” things when he’s drunk.
At least one element is 100% believable.
In the immortal words of Jim Morrison, "People are strange"
Only in Wisconsin.
Affordable Care
Scary tooth fairy, not like in the old days.
"And you say you've never taken one lesson?"
"Well, my father was a piano mover, so..."
It's an old-fashioned technique to yank out a baby tooth when the child says his tooth is loose and you can see that it's bothering him and is close to falling out. You do it without saying you're about to pull it, so the child doesn't get scared.
But that would only be something you do with your own child, not something you'd do to someone else's child.
Anyway, have you heard of parents who do that? Is that a pretty standard thing to do with your own child? I've never done it, and I wouldn't feel right doing that to my own child, but this story stirred up ancient memories, and I believe I've seen this done to kids. Perhaps my father did it to me. I don't remember.
And yet I half-remember being outraged and simultaneously not outraged by this move.
The kid isn't given the chance to object. The objection can only arise after it's over. And at that point, the kid sees that a problem is solved.
But if it's not the right time to yank ("flick"?!) the tooth, it could hurt and bleed a lot, as happened in this story.
I suspect the man explained that the tooth could be flicked out, saving the boy from pain, and that he knew what he was doing because dentistry runs in his family, and the woman trusted him, then felt great regret when the blood went everywhere.
The man may have fancied himself a Good Samaritan.
What do you do if you're already drunk and you encounter someone who needs help? Do you realize that you shouldn't help because your judgment is suspect or do you try to help?
"Roving Drunken Dentists" would make a good band name.
Oh, please. I once got drunk and simonized a police cruiser.
Mom reportedly wanted $5 for the tooth. What is she gonna get now?
He didn't even pull it, he flicked it. Silly case, should be dismissed.
We can be grateful that his father and grandfather were not surgeons.
Ann Althouse said...
What do you do if you're already drunk and you encounter someone who needs help? Do you realize that you shouldn't help because your judgment is suspect or do you try to help?
This is why drinking regularly is important. You have to learn that in 99.999% of circumstances the appropriate action is telling someone else what could be done and leaving it at that.
"The kid isn't given the chance to object. The objection can only arise after it's over. And at that point, the kid sees that a problem is solved."
Same with circumcision.
Oh, please. I once got drunk and simonized a police cruiser.
*******
Is that anything like that guy who was caught recently buggering his couch?
Thank you for today's laugh. And the comments at the article were especially enjoyable.
My assessment - guy was out of bounds to touch someone else's child IN ANY WAY. Alcohol loosened the boundaries of normal judgement on his part.
In my experience, the loose baby tooth wasn't painful. and they didn't bleed heavily when they came out.
This sounds like the kid needed a dentist and maybe mother wasn't doing her job.
I've rarely read such a short story with so many unbelievable elements.
I have read several stories even less believable than this.
- Holder's account of Fast and Furious
- Hillary Clinton's account of Benghazi
- The White House's account of the development of the Talking Points Susan Rice used
- Every single explanation by IRS officials about the Tea Party scandal
- Sandra Fluke's story of not being able to get contraceptives
- Everything Democrats have said/claimed about Obamacare
- Democrat claims of minority voter suppression
- Inga's claim to be pro-life (based on her actual actions, is just the pro-abortion version of a "beard")
- Democrat denials of voter fraud
- ARM's and/or Tradguy's versions of the Tayvon Martin shooting
phx's earlier claims to non-partisan and later claims to be center-left
- pretty much anything garage mahal has ever said
There's more, but that's all I can think of so far
Unbeknownst to the family, Curtis Baltz is actually the sole authorized provider in their new state mandated dental plan.
Unbeknownst to the family, Curtis Baltz is actually the sole authorized provider in their new state mandated dental plan.
Anyway, have you heard of parents who do that? Is that a pretty standard thing to do with your own child?
No, but it's a pretty standard thing to do with your younger sibling.
WalkerCare.
Roving Drunk _____________.
Usually happens in Wisconsin.
Perhaps God gave him a license to practice dentistry.
Perhaps the next time, before he leaves home he'll think to put a pair of Vice-Grips in his pocket.
If only there were some kind of rule against practicing outdoor dentistry in Wisconsin the citizens here would know this is wrong.
I hope the Legislature bans this practice immediately. For the children.
Roving Drunk Surgeon Robot says:
I Do My Best Surgery when Drunk. Appendicitis? Not a Problem: I'll Remove All Three of Them.
Good thing that his father and grandfather weren't doing circumcisions.
Roving Drunk Surgeon Robot says:
I'll Reconnect Your Whachamacallit to the Thingy There and You'll Be Up and Running in No Time.
But he did stay at a Holiday Inn Express!
Suppose this individual was a dentist. Wouldn't the outrage then be directed at the fact that someone competent to do a good deed, who was trying to do a good deed, was arrested. Would the BAL (which means what exactly?) be relevant then? I don't think so. If you agree with me there, then perhaps you'll agree that you don't have to be a friggin dentist to remove a child's tooth, and so the same analysis that would apply in the case of a dentist also applies in the case of a stranger when there's no evidence of any motivation besides offering assistance.
Was this child's tooth removed without harm (besides possible psychological harm attendant to reaction to the tooth's removal)? If so, no harm no foul should be the rule. A little bit of blood upon removal of a loose tooth should not, imo, by regarded as harm unless your standard dentist, given an accurate description of the situation, would regard it as harm.
I agree with Professor Althouse that this does not seem believable. Anyway...
My name is John, John's son
I come from Wisconsin
I work at the Pottery Barn there
When I'm drunk on the street
Loose teeth do I fleek
I say, Hello! They say, Hello
They say, "What is your name?"
I say...
My name is Yon, Yon's son
My husband has done that at church (not during the service) when a kid would show him a very loose tooth. He's a dentist, and I think he usually had a nod from the mom or dad. The kids were always happy, because they would get a visit from the Tooth Fairy.
Toy
The dentist, many people find them intimidating and scary, especially children. Include a round of dental instrument sin the encounter and some children and even adults don't like to go back to the clinic after the initial visit.
Wisconsin children dentists
Mitchell the Bat said...
Oh, please. I once got drunk and simonized a police cruiser.
Is that a euphemism for vomiting all over a police car?
Because I've done that.
Oh, please. I once got drunk and simonized a police cruiser.
How do you sell a benefice to an automobile?
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