I was nervous about Grace's first visit to the dentist. Mostly because I dread going to the dentist. I'd rather go to an ob/gyn appointment than go see the dentist. That's how bad the fear is. Don't ask me why. That's just the way it is.
To help Grace prepare and make the appointment go smoothly, we bought her a book about Dora going to the dentist. In the days leading up to the appointment, I read it constantly and with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. By the time this morning rolled around, she was practically begging to see the dentist.
The good news? Grace did AWESOME! She followed directions beautifully, and it was so cute to see her so comfortable in that big chair. The dental hygienist and the dentist were very impressed with her, as I was with them. They, too, were AWESOME!
When Grace asked the hygienist where Dora was, without skipping a beat, she said, "I haven't seen her around today, but maybe she's on TV right now." She then turned the TV, which was in the ceiling (how cool is that?), to Dora.
Then when the dentist came out, he introduced himself to Grace, noticed she had a giraffe on her dress, went back to his office and came back with a giraffe puppet and a picture of him kissing a giraffe. Once Grace saw that, she thought he was the coolest thing. And then when he asked if she'd like to hold the giraffe while he looked into her mouth- that was it, Dr. Love and Grace were friends for life.
When we left the office, I asked Grace what she thought about going to the dentist and she said, "I LOVE the dentist!"
And now for the bad news...Grace has a cavity in one of her bottom molars. I feel horrible because I brush her teeth all the time. The dentist reassured me and said there was probably nothing I could have done because Grace has very deep grooves in her molars, too narrow for the bristles of a toothbrush to get to. Maybe he was trying to prevent a waterworks session from a concerned mama, but it made me feel slightly better. Nevertheless, I have cut out M&M and lollipop treats.
It's a good thing Grace likes going to the dentist because we will be back in exactly a week to fix up that cavity.
Showing off her newly polished princess smile.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
First Visit to the Dentist
Posted by Mike and Cicely at 5:47 PM
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2 comments:
You are very fortunate, as a parent, to have had such a successful first visit to the dentist with your 2-year old! The first visits to the dentist with our children were not as successful as Grace's first visit. We're sorry to hear that Grace has the "Augustine grooves" in her teeth. The dentist will most likely recommend sealants be applied to Grace's adult teeth after they replace her baby teeth.
Indeed, it's understandable why most people would be tense and dislike the dentist. However, it's wonderful that the first visit of your 2-year old is a success! That's something to be proud about! Hearing "I love the dentist!" from a kid is great!
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