Friday, April 06, 2012

A trip to the Dentist

A had her first dentist appointment on Wednesday. Yes, I said her first. I know I know, she should've had her first check-up when she turned 2 but I just never got around to it. I'm Mother of the Year.
Anyway.
There's been a tooth that Bryan and I have been keeping an eye on for quite some time now and no matter how much we brushed the tooth it just seemed to get worse. Well, the dentist confirmed what I figured would happen. Her first cavity. The dentist assured me that it's common, being the back tooth and all. It's hard to brush clean, especially on a three year old who won't hold still.
I felt a little better.
Howerver, it needed to be filled. So I scheduled the filling for the next day, yesterday, just so we could get it done and over with. I tried explaining it to her a few times before we even got to the dentist of what was going to happen. She must have forgotten everything I said once things were about to get started.
She got scared and it ended up taking me 45 minutes to convince her to cooperate. I had to explain that we were at the nice dentist's place and if she didn't let them do it then we'd have to go to the other dentist where they don't let mommy's go back with them to hold their hands. I even showed her where they had to get the "sugar bug" out of my own tooth. She stuck her whole hand in there trying to point at it! Haha!
It seemed to finally sink in and they renumbed the area so they could give her the shot of "sleepy water" for her tooth. She braved it pretty well but after he was done I think A thought she was done too. She started to get up and I had to explain that they weren't finished but this part wouldn't hurt at all.
The dentist came back when she was numb and she got scared again. We had no time left and needed to keep going. She finally laid back down and the fact that the dentist and the helper each had two things in her mouth freaked her out. They even showed her all the tools before hand so she would know what was coming but she was still in panic mode.
He was pretty quick and got most of it when he pulled out to give her a second. There was no turning back now so after telling her she had to let them finish by putting in the filling there was many tears that followed as they finished. I just kept smiling and opening my own mouth really wide so she would see that I was doing it right along with her.
She held my hand the entire time and it was one of those moments that I really felt like a mom. So interesting how being a mom is just someone that you are, that you become the moment that your baby is placed in your arms, but that you only have moments where you really feel that "mommyness". Interesting how things work.
So now A and mommy are twins with the same back bottom right tooth is filled. Of course, hers will eventually fall out after she grows a few more but for now, we're twins.
Now I need to get Bryan and myself in for a check-up of our own. That and in June to find out the prognosis on my front tooth. Hopefully a crown will be in order and not a complete replacement. Scary! A cavity seems like nothing compared to a whole frontal tooth replacement. Eek!

2 comments:

Anita - Soaring Eagle said...

Man, I didn't see a dentist until I was 17 yrs. old. I didn't know they filled baby teeth. Of course my teeth are bad! Have a filling in most all of them, plus no back teeth! Glad to hear you are taking care of A! I will pray about your front tooth! I have had root canals in my front teeth - not fun!

Kathy said...

Oh my this is the hardest part of being a Mom, but it's so good that her dentist let you be back there with her. Thank you for praying for me :) it has helped a lot! love you