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The initial report on our children indicated "has cavities". We asked if they had been filled. The answer was no, due to it costing too much.
One of my three children (4 years old at the time) had really rotten teeth - many down to her gums - and other teeth with only a "shell" left. Once here, she had a few pulled, others capped, and more filled. She was absolutely thrilled with her "shiny new teeth" (the silver caps). Since she's now almost 7, the horrible front baby teeth have fallen out. My other daughter - then 10 - had a few fillings and one tooth pulled. She continues to have poor brushing habits and I've had to monitor/watch her brush even at 12 years old. My then almost 3 year old son was blessed with needing only one minor filling.
A year or longer after being home, my two girls were playing house/dolls. The oldest showed the youngest how to get a bottle ready - put in some milk, add some sugar, add some water. Since she was the one responsible for caring for her two younger siblings, that probably explains the bad teeth.
Just this week, a co-worker noted that a non-American friend told her "We can tell who the Americans are because of their teeth. They look so much better than Europeans." Having lived in Germany for 16 years and traveled to other countries, I would definitely agree with that!
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