Tough Morning at the Dentist

Jersey #3 needed some dental work one morning last week. 3/4 of his mouth was numb in this picture, due to the locations of the cavities. They were small cavities, on his groovy teeth, so the procedure to fill them was expected to be pretty simple.

WRONG!

It turns out that all of my worry and concern over Jersey #4 needing dental work last month was placed on the wrong child. She did great, so I had worried for nothing. Jersey #3, on the other hand, had a very rough time, when I expected him to be cooperative.

I don't know what I was thinking. Cooperative? Jersey #3?

Everything started out well. I prepped him the evening before. We talked about brushing teeth, and sugar bugs, and how the dentist has to fix our teeth if the sugar bugs damage them. I explained how he was not to eat or drink in the morning, and how I would be waking him up early to go to the dentist. Then, I explained that he would get his choice of a treat afterward. He was most concerned about when he would get to eat again, so we covered that topic well. He seemed almost excited about the adventure.

Jersey #3 was very cooperative to not eat or drink, and got himself dressed to go to the dentist. He was in a good mood that morning, and went through the motions of playing in the waiting room, getting his vital signs checked, and taking the sleepy medicine. He happily watched a movie while the meds kicked in. He was pretty loopy by the time it was time to go to the big chair. I had to guide him down the hall so that he did not crash into the walls.

The trouble began when he did not like the mask that had the laughing gas. He is a mouth-breather also, so he wasn't actually breathing the gas. That makes a huge difference. That mouth-breathing is bad for tooth decay too, because the mouth stays dried out all the time. Still, he listened to the hygienist go over everything, and let her put the numbing gel in his mouth. He did well when the dentist arrived and numbed him. He was already showing signs of being wiggly, and not as relaxed, which I am guessing is because he was not breathing the gas as he should.

And then everything fell apart when it was time to start and the dentist held his mouth open with that rubber tool. Yep, that was it for Jersey #3. He could not stand that sensation at all. It did not matter what the dentist was doing at the tooth level, that tool holding his mouth open was the enemy. He managed to wiggle and thrust his tongue to get the tool out on numerous occasions...to which the dentist caught it in mid-air with amazing reflexes. Unfortunately, the tool was necessary in order for his mouth to be open, because he was closing it with every intervention, including painting the sealant on.

Since his reaction was to yell "ouch," the dentist actually stopped at first. He explained to me that he really did not think that Jersey #3 was feeling any pain, but he went ahead and numbed him more anyway. Those cavities were so shallow, that some kids would be able to endure the filling without numbing, so Jersey #3 really should not have been feeling anything. Regardless of the standard logic, for a physically sensitive kid, any dental sensation is going to be a problem.

After the 2nd numbing, the dentist attempted more work, only to be met with more struggle. The dentist was spending more time repositioning the tools than he was spending fixing the teeth, because Jersey #3 was engaging in wiggle battle. At this point, the dentist asked if he could restrain him on a papoose board, because he could not leave the tooth half-done as it was. I agreed, and explained to Jersey #3 what was going to happen.

Much to my surprise, Jersey #3 fully cooperated laying on the papoose board, and having his arms wrapped to his body. He actually relaxed, as if he was an infant being swaddled.

He still was not able to handle the sensations of the tools in his mouth. He clenched and screamed and wiggled. It was impressive. A second hygienist had to be brought in to hold his head still, and I had to help hold his legs still. He is a strong little fella. I was confident he was not in pain, because of the way his struggles ensued. He would immediately calm down as soon as all instruments were out of his mouth....and the dentist was real good about backing off in between working on his teeth, to give him a break. But, as soon as any instrument...even the paintbrush or the UV light (which did not even touch his teeth)...was put in his mouth, he had a screaming fit. Ironically, he was the most calm for the drilling part. I am guessing the sound captured his attention a bit.

I tried to calm him with my voice, and by patting his leg. I would only get minor responses from him. I was no match for the battle over having his mouth held open with a rubber tool.

When all 3 of the cavities were filled, the dentist removed the tools, and unstrapped the restraints immediately. Jersey #3 sat right up, put his arms out to me, and I held him in my lap. He was still crying a bit, and took a few minutes to calm down.....bringing back many memories from his infancy. The dentist was so very apologetic about the restraints. He assured me that he felt it was much better than having to place such shallow fillings in the hospital, under general anesthesia. I totally agreed. No one wants to see their child upset at the dentist, but the lesser intervention was the best method. I tried to reassure the dentist that it was the best choice.

The dental staff were completely shocked by Jersey #3's behavior. I was not. He has always been a high maintenance child. His sensitivities are improving, but clearly there are some stresses that are just going to be challenging, even at age 5. Hopefully, more maturity and understanding will take place before he needs any more dental work.

I praised and encouraged Jersey #3, and he perked right up. He talked cheerfully with the hygienist, and took great interest in the toys he got to pick out for being so brave. He did not like the sensation of having numb cheeks. Thankfully, he napped on the ride home. He was happy to go pick out a Slurpee to drink.

I do not think that this experience is going to cause much trauma over going to the dentist, but time will tell. Jersey #3 seemed fine with the staff and the place on our way out. He seems fine talking about it. He maintains that he yelled because it hurt, and that is that. He simply states that he did not like having his mouth held open like that. He almost shrugs the whole thing off, as if it is justified. His attitude is that he didn't like it, so he screamed, so the dentist wrapped his arms, he screamed more because he didn't like it, and then he was done. He cheerfully agreed to my conclusion that he needs to keep learning how to brush his teeth better, so that he doesn't get anymore sugar bugs damaging his teeth.

It will be interesting to see how he reacts to returning for routine cleaning in a couple months. I am hoping he doesn't need any more fillings for a while. I am not confident that his sensitivities will improve very quickly.

I am going to try a electric toothbrush for him though. I wonder if that sensation will help relax his sensitive response.

This tough morning at the dentist was a big reminder for me to not take this child for granted. I have always said he is the child who humbled me. It appears I've still got quite a bit more growth to endure with him.