I took the kids to the dentist this morning. It was time for their every-6-months cleaning.I am thankful to have found such a wonderful pediatric dentistry to bring my thundering herd. They are sweet, kid-friendly, and provide excellent treatment. They schedule 3 kids at once and 2 kids to follow, so I can take everyone in the same visit. The working environment must be great too, because some of the hygienists, and the office manager, greeted us when we first visited 7 years ago....and are still there each time we visit.
But, I will openly admit that I still feel stress about taking them to the dentist. We have terrible teeth genetics. This is mostly due to my gene pool, for sure. Even though I fully understand that there is a great balance between genetics and environment in any health issue, I still anticipate being accused of poor parenting as the culprit of the numerous cavities.
It is a silly insecurity that is not even founded in truth. My kids teethe on toothbrushes as infants, and brushing is a regular routine in our household. The older children are able to fully explain to the hygienist about their brushing habits, which are always answered with praise. I am confident that I am teaching them good hygiene practices. Yet, I still wait to be accused of failing in this area.
Our pediatric dentist has never suggested that the kids' dental issues are a result of lifestyle or parenting. He actually points out which things are "defects" and which things are genetics. He usually shrugs off most cavities as a result of those "deep grooves." That is the same thing dentists told my parents about my teeth. Apparently, we have groovy teeth.
I sat in the waiting room, watching the kids play, bracing myself for the adventure ahead.
Much to my surprise, this was probably the easiest dental visit I have ever experienced with the children. All 5 of them blessed me with their cooperation. The older 3 were cavity-free! I practically skipped out of the building when we were done, because I was that thrilled.
I was concerned about Jersey #3 because his dental visits have been pretty intense for the past year. He had a stressful experience getting fillings, and followed that up with poor cooperation for his next cleaning. I bought him a battery-operated toothbrush to help mimic the sensations of getting teeth polished at the dentist, in an attempt to help decompress his sensitivities. I had a talk with him yesterday, to try to brace him for the visit and what to expect. I explained that he needed to be still in the chair and not wiggle, and he needed to cooperate instead of yelling. I was amused by his response as he informed me,
"No problem, Mom. I am SO over that now!"
I suggested he could talk to the hygienist and mention when something was bothering him, but that he could not holler. He agreed that he could handle it.
And he did handle it. He talked constantly with the hygienist and asked about every detail of the cleaning. He did not holler. His body language was tense, and it was obvious he had to work extra hard to keep still, but he cooperated. I was so proud of him!
I was concerned about Jersey #3 because his dental visits have been pretty intense for the past year. He had a stressful experience getting fillings, and followed that up with poor cooperation for his next cleaning. I bought him a battery-operated toothbrush to help mimic the sensations of getting teeth polished at the dentist, in an attempt to help decompress his sensitivities. I had a talk with him yesterday, to try to brace him for the visit and what to expect. I explained that he needed to be still in the chair and not wiggle, and he needed to cooperate instead of yelling. I was amused by his response as he informed me,
"No problem, Mom. I am SO over that now!"
I suggested he could talk to the hygienist and mention when something was bothering him, but that he could not holler. He agreed that he could handle it.
And he did handle it. He talked constantly with the hygienist and asked about every detail of the cleaning. He did not holler. His body language was tense, and it was obvious he had to work extra hard to keep still, but he cooperated. I was so proud of him!
Jersey #1 participated in the cleaning with ease, but still gagged at the attempt at getting bitewing x-rays.
Jersey #4 was nervous, but she was determined to do as well as Jersey #3. She is so stubborn and independent like that. I made her siblings stay back and let her handle herself on her own. She did not want their advice, or them sitting on the chair with her, or anything. She is a big girl too.....even if she did insist on wearing tap shoes with her outfit.
Jersey #5 took it all in stride. He is so mellow. He followed all the instructions, climbed into that big chair, and picked his own toothpaste flavor. He opened his mouth when asked, and was rather still for a 2-year old. He didn't complain or fuss at all.
Jersey #2 was a superstar. She has had 2 heart surgeries, a cardiac MRI, and doctor visits galore....so a dental cleaning was no challenge for her. She laid back in that big chair, completely relaxed, with pig-tails draping to each side. She informed the hygienist about the process, instead of the other way around. Her cleaning was complete in record time. It helps that she is missing a few teeth right now too.
Jersey #2 was a superstar. She has had 2 heart surgeries, a cardiac MRI, and doctor visits galore....so a dental cleaning was no challenge for her. She laid back in that big chair, completely relaxed, with pig-tails draping to each side. She informed the hygienist about the process, instead of the other way around. Her cleaning was complete in record time. It helps that she is missing a few teeth right now too.
After the cleanings, the Dentist made his rounds from child to child, updating me on their status....
Jersey #1 has a gum defect, which he recommends watching right now, but may require a visit to the periodontist in the future. It appears some of her gum did not attach to the permanent tooth properly as it came in.
Jersey #2 has 4 loose teeth. The tooth fairy will need to stop by the ATM here soon. Her big front tooth is technically "in the range of normal." The dentist said that he would not call it "odd-shaped" (like I called it), and says he is not worried about it at this time.
Jersey #3 has some tartar build-up between his lower front teeth. The dentist went to check it out further, and discovered those teeth are loose. So, instead of treating them, he will let them fall out naturally. That will be a first---natural tooth loss. Jersey #3 has 3 missing teeth from a bike accident. Today I learned that the permanent replacements will take longer to come down. Instead of filling the hole left behind by baby teeth falling out, his permanent teeth will have to break through the healed hole, more like cutting baby teeth. That should be fun.
Jersey #4 has some small cavities in the grooves of her teeth. Not much she could have done about that. She is pretty cooperative, so they expect to be able to fill them with ease.
Jersey #5 has a handful of small cavities, in the grooves of his teeth. I knew this already, as the dentist was waiting to treat until his 2nd molars emerged (so he could fix those too if necessary). I dreaded the suggestion of treating him under general anesthesia due to his young age. I was pleased to hear the dentist say that the cavities were small and should all be fillings (not caps), so he thinks this can be done in-office. Jersey #5 was so cooperative for his cleaning, that the dentist thinks it is worth a try to see if he will cooperate for fillings the same way (with the help of laughing gas). That is great news!
I was full of smiles and relief as the kids picked out their new toothbrushes and goodie bags. That was one dental visit that did not zap my confidence.
Jersey #1 has a gum defect, which he recommends watching right now, but may require a visit to the periodontist in the future. It appears some of her gum did not attach to the permanent tooth properly as it came in.
Jersey #2 has 4 loose teeth. The tooth fairy will need to stop by the ATM here soon. Her big front tooth is technically "in the range of normal." The dentist said that he would not call it "odd-shaped" (like I called it), and says he is not worried about it at this time.
Jersey #3 has some tartar build-up between his lower front teeth. The dentist went to check it out further, and discovered those teeth are loose. So, instead of treating them, he will let them fall out naturally. That will be a first---natural tooth loss. Jersey #3 has 3 missing teeth from a bike accident. Today I learned that the permanent replacements will take longer to come down. Instead of filling the hole left behind by baby teeth falling out, his permanent teeth will have to break through the healed hole, more like cutting baby teeth. That should be fun.
Jersey #4 has some small cavities in the grooves of her teeth. Not much she could have done about that. She is pretty cooperative, so they expect to be able to fill them with ease.
Jersey #5 has a handful of small cavities, in the grooves of his teeth. I knew this already, as the dentist was waiting to treat until his 2nd molars emerged (so he could fix those too if necessary). I dreaded the suggestion of treating him under general anesthesia due to his young age. I was pleased to hear the dentist say that the cavities were small and should all be fillings (not caps), so he thinks this can be done in-office. Jersey #5 was so cooperative for his cleaning, that the dentist thinks it is worth a try to see if he will cooperate for fillings the same way (with the help of laughing gas). That is great news!
I was full of smiles and relief as the kids picked out their new toothbrushes and goodie bags. That was one dental visit that did not zap my confidence.
:) Glad it went well.
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