It's been 6 months since Charlie's first visit to the dentist. I think he quickly forgot the experience but his mama has not! (If you missed that post, here's a link "open up and say...wahhhh!" )
Charlie has his second dentist visit today for the routine cleaning. I had been dreading this for weeks. And, when I say "dreading", know that's the only word I can think of to describe it but it doesn't to the anxiety I felt justice. I tried to talk it up all morning while Charlie was eating breakfast, getting dressed, etc. We were going to the doctor to get his teeth cleaned. He seemed ok with that. He walked right in to the waiting room. Played with toys. Walked right on back to the hygienists' chairs. As soon as I sat down with him in the chair, he became uneasy. Both hygienists tried to get him to show her his teeth but he wasn't having it. We let him down to play a while hoping if he warmed up to the place, it wouldn't be so bad. I knew better but I humored their suggestion. There was one funny moment in the whole experience...the hygienist asked me to let him play a while longer because there was a little one in the room next to his and they didn't want Charlie's screaming and crying to upset her. I had to chuckle at this. Hey...I had to find some humor in the situation.
We took Charlie into the cleaning room. Two words...pure torture...for all of us. It took two of us to hold him down while a third cleaned. Needless to say, I was exhausted by the time she finished and Charlie was covered in sweat. All she got done was to get the calculus build-up off the front and back of his bottom front teeth. I think she managed to get a little cleaner on his teeth as well. By that point, I was just waiting to hear the ok to let go.
Charlie saw a new dentist in the office this time. I really loved him. He was so great with Charlie even though he wanted nothing else to do with anybody! I'm still contemplating taking Charlie back until he's much older but the visit with this dentist helped this time. Last time, I had decided that if his next appt. goes the same, then I was never going back!
Whew! Ok. That's over and done with. Maybe by tomorrow my arms won't feel like jelly from having to hold down my child...poor thing.
2 comments:
you should not go in the back with him and see if that helps. Jill's dentist when you all were little wouldn't let parents in the back and she did great. Your being there may just add anxiety. Glad to hear his vocabulary is increasing, before you know it, you won't be able to say anything!!
Poor boy. =( Usually, the fear of the dentist never stops until your child has visited the dentist for about 4-5 times already. But it still depends on your kids and how you motivate them. But no matter what, we must constantly remind our kids of how awesome our dentists are!
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