Tooth Neglect Case Dropped Against Easton Mom

The case against an Easton woman accused of neglecting her son's dental care for more than a year has been dropped.

Melody Kemler, 42, of the 100 block of S. Sixth Street, had been scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Monday in Easton's downtown district court on charges of endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person.

But the case against her was withdrawn before that hearing could happen, according to court staff.

It was not immediately clear why the case was withdrawn.

However, Kemler seems unhappy with the outcome, telling The Express-Times she plans to pursue legal action against the detective who investigated the case, Northampton County’s Children, Youth and Families Division, and a Philadelphia dentist who examined her son.

Kemler was charged in December 2012 after police learned from the county that Kemler had allegedly failed to get her son—who was 12 at the time— treatment for a decaying “six-year” molar.

Court records say the decaying tooth had been causing pain since April 2011. A “six-year” molar refers to a tooth that usually grows in at age 6 or 7.

A children and youth caseworker said her office had made appointments for the boy but the mother failed to follow through on them.

Police say dentist Dr. David Bresler said he told the mother her son’s tooth had to be extracted and a root canal performed. Without a root canal, the boy would be at risk of futher pain, an inability to eat and sleep and possible infection.

Kemler's arrest marked the second time in as many years that an Easton parent has faced criminal charges for neglecting their child's dental care. Last year, Francisco Torres was charged after letting his son's teeth decay to the point that the teenager pulled two of them out. Torres pleaded guilty and was sentenced earlier this year to one to two years in prison.