Once upon a time, I went through a phase where I skipped dental care for about 7 years. My reasons were valid--I was young, I'd never had a cavity (probably because I'd religiously been sent to the dentist my entire childhood), and the most important, I couldn't afford such a luxury. I was fresh out of college, working in a relatively low-paying job, and I had bills to pay (not to mention a drinking habit to support.) Dental care? That was for people like my dad, who owned a water pick.
Then I got married, suddenly had dental insurance (which is a joke anymore, but I digress) and decided to be a grown-up and, you know, go to the dentist. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I immediately LOVED my dentist's office: to the point that I base all future new doctors on them--for example, I shopped around for pedatricians until I found one that gave me the warm and fuzzy feeling that Dr. Pelly and her assistant husband do. Unfortunately, no amount of warm and fuzzy words could cover the grim truth that I had FIVE cavities. FIVE, all in my molars. Gabe, who had also just gone to the dentist for the first time in years, thought this was pretty funny as he had none.
What transpired was five consecutive weeks of going to the dentist each Thursday to get a cavity filled. The first time I was so nervous and shaking and ready to pass out at the sight of the needle that Dr. Pelly needed to verbally assure me multiple times before she began. By the 5th time we were all old chums, sharing vacation photos and travel stories, and I had a new outlook on dental care: I now flossed regularly and I paid the office a visit religiously every 6 months. My family, of course, found all this to be hysterical, and have referred to me as "Lindsay Rotten Tooth" ever since.
Fast-forward to yesterday...Gabey's very first trip to the dentist. I've tried to instill good oral habit in him: we brush 2x daily. We've been working with "real" toothpaste vs. baby toothpaste, but the spitting efforts are a little wild, so like I said, we're working on it. I actually had to go to the dentist myself, and after much failed effort to find someone to come along with me to watch G3 so he could see for himself what it was all about, I ended up just adding his check-up to the end of my visit, packing a bag full of toys, and hoping for the best.
My little man did not disapoint. He played on the floor next to my chair for a good 40 minutes while I had my teeth cleaned, interupting his play only to ask the assistant "Is it my turn? You gonna brush my teeth?" He charmed everyone in the office and made me proud of his behavior (sidenote: the last time I took him to the dentist with me he was about a year old, and cried the ENTIRE TIME. Horrible experience.) Anyhow, when it was his turn he hopped right into the chair, no hesitation, and was pretty damn good about letting Dr. Pelly check his teeth and count them. After that, he was thrilled to follow her husband up front and pick a toy out of the toy chest.
He really did open his mouth for her, I just happened to click at the 1 point he closed it.
And that was that. First dentist visit over and done with. Of course, it may be different when they actually clean them (the first visit is just checking for any obvious problems and getting them used to it.) Another bi-annual $88 to add to our bills. Another milestone in G3's life. And, with any luck he will not follow in the path of Lindsay Rotten Tooth!
Completely unrelated photo: it's lily season!! The lilies are blooming, which means its my favorite time of the year (in case you didn't pick up on that!) As usual, Gabe has taken hundreds of pictures of every single lily, but to avoid anyone keeling over from too much excitement, I've decided to share just one. Happy Summer!
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