FIRST DENTIST APPOINTMENT!
Berenstain Bears visit to the dentist came in handy, George knew just what to do and sat right down!
George
did amazing at his first dentist appointment (and Emilie did pretty
well too, though she didn’t really let them do anything), and everyone
was completely shocked seeing him so calm. I explained I prepped him
with the Berenstain Bears Visit to the Dentist and left out certain
words (like “yank” and certain aspects of it that might give him ideas
of fear). I basically told them, “look, he has nothing to fear, unless
you give him to”. I really made sure the doctor noticed this, because he
was so content and at home there! He knew exactly what was going to
happen at a regular check up because of the Berenstain Bears! It turns
out they use that exact book and read it to kids at school to educate
them about the dentist.
Well, despite how amazing George did and how much he enjoyed his visit, we were in for a nasty realization. Because I started a solid brushing routine so late in his life, when the damage had just started, George has two major cavities and 2-3 several minor ones. The dentist assistant gave me a one on one education on how teeth are built, and how cavities really effect them, and it sadly eye opening. Apparently teeth aren’t “solid white”, but made up with three layers. The first layer, the white enamel is surprisingly thin. The second layer, Dentin, is a much softer layer. The the middle contains the nerves… Sugar eats holes into the enamel, and once it gets to the second layer, the whole tooth becomes in danger and the decay can spread to the middle. With children in particular, tooth decay spreads rapidly. If tooth decay gets to the middle, you need a root canal, and George may need at least two, with some other fillings. It’s surprising, but if you ever see permanent black in your back teeth that can’t be brushed away, it’s most likely not “black” but actually the dentin layer, and would actually be dark pink if you shined a light on it. Despite the sadness and the horror of the news, I’m still not going to have George put under for his dental work, but have the darn shot to numb the area. We’ll be having two teeth fixed on at a time, starting with the worst. They do their best to distract from the shot, and there will the TV will be on too (George really loved watching TV while they cleaned his teeth). I’m hoping it won’t be too painful and that he can still have a positive association with the dentist. I could have possibly screwed up that chance though. It’s pretty amazing, but we’re actually flossing now (they told me it’s just as important as brushing, and you can actually get cavities between your teeth!) and also brushing after every meal. We seriously picked an amazing dentist office because no one has ever been able to convince me to floss. That, and that Scott and I have both decided to go to the dentist ourselves.
For Emilie, the dentist visit went pretty much uneventful. I looked at the assistant in doubt and asked her, “you really think she’ll be okay with that?” as she prepared for the X-Ray gun. Emilie sat on my lap as the assistant assured she would, but at every turn Emilie laid down the law with her with a resounding “NO”. There were no X-Ray blankets laid on her, no teeth cleaning with their fancy electric tooth brush, and she barely allowed them to “peek” into her mouth. I’m very happy we didn’t have to pay for it, because they charged insurance full price! At the end though, they gave her some sparkley sun glasses and all of a sudden she became flamboyant and the star of the show! It was so darn cute! The assistant said, “Wow, we should have given those to her from the start!”. It was pretty funny.
Well, the next appointment will be next week, and I’ll blog about what happens. Until then, George and Emilie, you both did a wonderful job! Love, Mommy
Well, despite how amazing George did and how much he enjoyed his visit, we were in for a nasty realization. Because I started a solid brushing routine so late in his life, when the damage had just started, George has two major cavities and 2-3 several minor ones. The dentist assistant gave me a one on one education on how teeth are built, and how cavities really effect them, and it sadly eye opening. Apparently teeth aren’t “solid white”, but made up with three layers. The first layer, the white enamel is surprisingly thin. The second layer, Dentin, is a much softer layer. The the middle contains the nerves… Sugar eats holes into the enamel, and once it gets to the second layer, the whole tooth becomes in danger and the decay can spread to the middle. With children in particular, tooth decay spreads rapidly. If tooth decay gets to the middle, you need a root canal, and George may need at least two, with some other fillings. It’s surprising, but if you ever see permanent black in your back teeth that can’t be brushed away, it’s most likely not “black” but actually the dentin layer, and would actually be dark pink if you shined a light on it. Despite the sadness and the horror of the news, I’m still not going to have George put under for his dental work, but have the darn shot to numb the area. We’ll be having two teeth fixed on at a time, starting with the worst. They do their best to distract from the shot, and there will the TV will be on too (George really loved watching TV while they cleaned his teeth). I’m hoping it won’t be too painful and that he can still have a positive association with the dentist. I could have possibly screwed up that chance though. It’s pretty amazing, but we’re actually flossing now (they told me it’s just as important as brushing, and you can actually get cavities between your teeth!) and also brushing after every meal. We seriously picked an amazing dentist office because no one has ever been able to convince me to floss. That, and that Scott and I have both decided to go to the dentist ourselves.
For Emilie, the dentist visit went pretty much uneventful. I looked at the assistant in doubt and asked her, “you really think she’ll be okay with that?” as she prepared for the X-Ray gun. Emilie sat on my lap as the assistant assured she would, but at every turn Emilie laid down the law with her with a resounding “NO”. There were no X-Ray blankets laid on her, no teeth cleaning with their fancy electric tooth brush, and she barely allowed them to “peek” into her mouth. I’m very happy we didn’t have to pay for it, because they charged insurance full price! At the end though, they gave her some sparkley sun glasses and all of a sudden she became flamboyant and the star of the show! It was so darn cute! The assistant said, “Wow, we should have given those to her from the start!”. It was pretty funny.
Well, the next appointment will be next week, and I’ll blog about what happens. Until then, George and Emilie, you both did a wonderful job! Love, Mommy
George getting his teeth cleaned.
The X-Ray gun!
X-Rays of George's teeth.
Pictures they took to show us the damage.
Emilie finally happy once given sparkly sunglasses.
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