Ever since I can remember I have always loved going to the dentist and I want my kids to love going to the dentist as well. When Cohen turned 3, I finally got to schedule his first dentist appointment. The first trip was completely different than what I was expecting. The dentist let me hold Cohen on my lap while he counted and brushed his teeth, letting Cohen realize what the dentist was there to do. This was not a traumatic experience at all.
The Cavity
Fast forward a year and Cohen is a big boy, now sitting in the chair by himself with his sunglasses on and letting the dentist clean his teeth. However, at this check up the dentist found a cavity. I figured it was a baby tooth that was going to fall out anyway, but the cavity was found in one of his back molars that he’ll keep till he’s twelve. So, I made a follow up appointment to have his cavity filled.
The dentist briefly explained the procedure to me so I could tell Cohen what to expect. I told Cohen that he had a booboo on his tooth and the dentist needed to fix it, kind of like a Band-Aid. I told him that I would be there the whole time and that the dentist would fully explain what he was going to do before he did it. Then the day came and he was excited to go back. He told all his friends at preschool about his appointment with the dentist and that afterwards he would get ice cream. I picked him up from preschool and we had lunch in the car on the way to his appointment while I filled him in on the rest of his day. He brought three toys from home that made him feel brave and tough.
The Filling
When we arrived, Cohen got to pick out what movie he wanted to watch. Then, in order to calm his nerves, I opted to have him receive laughing gas. He picked the flavor of gas – oranges – and the nurse put the mask over his nose and told him to breathe in. At this point, I wanted the laughing gas to calm my nerves, too.
The dentist finally entered the room, explained what he was going to do and started the procedure. I was standing at Cohen’s feet reminding him to smell the oranges and keep watching the movie. It was the longest 30-minutes of my life. I had to remain calm while the dentist shot Novocain into my baby’s tooth, and then used a drill to clean out the cavity, all the while I remained rubbing Cohen’s leg and held his hand to keep him still. Cohen was a champ! His mouth remained numb for a couple of hours, but other than that he was fine.
All Done!
After the dentist was finished, I lost it. I burst out into tears, hugged my baby and told him what great a job he did and how proud of him I was. Cohen then got to pick out two toys. I think I was more traumatized than he was. All he wanted was ice cream. We now make it a priority to brush his teeth before bed each night. I just hope Cohen will eventually like going to the dentist as much as I do.
Mallory Connelly
Babies & Toddlers
In addition to the time I devote to being a mom, I also work full-time outside the home, which means my day is hardly ever as simple as nine to five. With an all-too-established schedule, as soon as I walk through the door, my day doesn’t end, but rather just begins. It’s a balancing act, especially with two children, but being a mom is one full-time job that I never want to quit!
