Dentist Visit

I'm Ready!

When Zander was 18 months old, I made his first appointment with a Pediatric dentist that came very highly recommended. When I called to make the appointment, they made me feel like the worst parent in the world because he had not already been to see the dentist. He only had a few teeth at this point. I should have known then, that this was not going to be a pleasant experience.

We arrived at the dentist office. It was totally kid friendly. Several TV's were placed around the room with cartoons, there were video games for the older kids and toys for the younger kids. When the called us back we went into a room that was set up with about 6 or 8 chairs beside of each other. They literally ripped Zander from my arms to do Xrays. Was that necessary? They assured me that it was. There was a child in the chair beside of us that was being held down and having major work down. He was screaming and crying. Zander always get unnerved when another child is crying. He was already unsure about this whole process and now he is sure that he does not want to do this. To make matters worse, just 2 weeks before this, we were in the ER with rotavirus and they had to hold him down for 1 hr 1/2 to get an IV in his arm. Now they start to hold him down to clean his teeth and you can imagine how he reacted. After they are finished, the dentist looks at his teeth and decides that he needs sealant put on his teeth. Now they put this big metal thing in his mouth to hold it open, and his is crying so hard that his lips begin to bleed. Needless to say, I am done with the Pediatric dentist.

At my next dentist appointment, I told my dentist about this appointment. They couldn't believe it. They said that it was unnecessary for a child to see a dentist until they are three unless there is a problem. Sealants are not recommended until 6. They told me to bring him with me to my next appointment and let him watch me get my teeth cleaned. That is what I did. Mom with with me and he played and watched. Today, it was his first appointment. He wanted me to go first. Then it was his turn. He did great! The last picture is him holding his mouth open waiting for her to start. He was very funny. No cavities. He got a new tooth brush and his very own dental floss which he was very excited about. I don't think the next appointment will be a problem. Thank you Dr. Porter and staff!