Boy in Malaysia loses 12 teeth to decay due to habit of sleeping without brushing

A boy in Malaysia had 12 of his teeth removed due to severe cavities, after neglecting proper brushing.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Dec 2), the boy's mother, Siti Nur Haliza, explained that a few months before the extraction, her son began experiencing headaches in the morning. 

"After school, he still had headaches and no appetite. I gave him food and told him to rest, but he continued waking up with dizziness and headaches. He had no fever but vomited twice," said Siti. 

She added that despite bringing him to a clinic and giving him the prescribed medication, her son continued vomiting and remained dizzy. 

As the issue persisted, Siti decided to bring her son back to the clinic, where the doctor decided to admit him

With the cause of his dizziness unclear, the doctor suggested taking a spinal fluid sample to check for infection or inflammation in the brain, which Siti declined. 

They were then referred them to a specialist, who in turn directed them to a local hospital for a CT scan.

Tooth decay caused by prolonged use of a milk bottle

Siti shared that her son was sedated for a CT scan, which came back normal. He was subsequently warded for several days under the paediatric team where doctors noticed something unusual in his heart. 

"Doctors also noticed his teeth were in bad condition and referred him to the oral surgery specialist," said Siti, adding that after his discharge, the boy underwent a blood test and met with an oral surgeon. 

Following the visit with the dental specialist, Siti explained that her son's teeth were too damaged to be filled and had to be extracted. A surgery date was scheduled two to three months later by the hospital.

According to photos shared on Siti's social media, her son woke up with only six lower teeth remaining after the successful operation.

Siti blamed the tooth decay on the extended use of a milk bottle and not brushing before sleep.

"The tooth decay was caused by prolonged use of a milk bottle — he drank from a bottle until he was four years old and always needed it to sleep, and his teeth were rarely brushed properly," said Siti. 

It is not clear how old her son is.

While she acknowledged that she felt responsible for what happened, she is grateful that her son is healthy again.

"He is healthy, active, and I'm grateful. We have many appointments every year, but it's okay as long as my child is well," she added.

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com