Today was Charlotte's first dentist appointment. I had put this off for…I don't know…since she was 2 years old? That is when the doctors suggested I take her in for her first appointment, but I knew my daughter, and I knew there was NO WAY she was going to be okay with that. I envisioned a full blown tantrum, hysterics, hyperventilating…you know, everything that used to accompany a typical doctor's appointment. So, I just waited…and waited…and waited.
This fall at nursery school, they had a pediatric dentist come in and explain what happens at the dentist and they did a whole lesson on dental hygiene. Right after that, I made an appointment for Charlotte to go, but she ended up getting sick and so I had to cancel it…I finally got around to rescheduling, and today was the day.
To set the scene, I have to rewind a bit to last night when Charlotte, for the first time in about 3 years, was up from about 2am-530am. It was hell. She just refused to go back to sleep, and was calling us every 5 minutes. I think she woke up and heard the rain, and that was it…she was just up for the long haul. Which means she--and Jon and I--were all exhausted today. So that, combined with the first dentist's appointment…it could've have totally gone either way. I had tried to prepare her over the past week or so, telling her we were going, and explaining what they would do…each time, she would either completely ignore me or start crying "I'm NOT going to the dentist!". As we pulled into the office, I didn't have high hopes…even Ray said "I have a feeling this isn't going to go so well".
But…I was very pleasantly surprised!!! When we first got there, she was really nervous…I kept showing her the toys and the televisions, but she was still a little concerned. Here she is in the waiting room.
And then, in passing, I said something about the fact that all kids need to go to the dentist…all adults need to go…all princesses need to go to the dentist. She perked up, and asked if Cindy and Belle and Rapunzel go to the dentist, so I ran with it and started telling her they all go to the dentist before a show to make their teeth pearly white for their performances. She loved that, and started saying that she was going to really be able to perform now, haha. Here she is posing in the waiting room...
…and that graduated to dancing (what? It isn't normal to dance in the waiting room of a pediatric dentist?). Because this stupid computer won't let me include a video for some strange reason, I have to go and do it on my old computer….GRRRR.
So, we went in and she sat on my lap on the chair…Charlotte did everything the hygienist asked, opened her mouth, picked out a toothbrush, let her clean and count her teeth. She was definitely nervous, I could tell in the way she was talking and looking at me, but she was such a big girl…the only thing she wasn't happy about was when the woman tried to put the suction thing in her mouth, and Charlotte said "oh no, we are NOT doing THAT" haha. She kept on saying "now I am really going to be able to perform! Now I am going to be able to be on stage and dance and do ice skating"…they probably thought I was some crazy stage mom :)
The dentist said she could tell right away that she sucked her thumb just from looking at her bite, but said it isn't something they start worrying about until the kids are 5…she did say to try and make it a rule that she can only suck her thumb in her bed (and not in the car or couch or anywhere else), but I don't think we are going to have much luck with that! Oh, well...
All in all, I would say it was a pretty good first appointment…I was very pleasantly surprised :) Just goes to show what I know!
Xoxoxo
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