The dentist.

What do you think of when I mention the dentist? Do you think of that Bill Cosby routine where he talks about the Novocaine numbing him so much that he couldn’t talk ?

What thoughts does bringing your children to the dentist conjure up? Is it a lot of work? Do you have a child who is frightened of the dentist? Going to the dentist with a child who has SPD can be a nightmare that goes beyond the typical fear children have from doctor’s visits and unfamiliar situations.

Today I brought both of my kids to the dentist. This was the second time that C5 had ever been to a dentist. Her first trip to the dentist was about a year ago, and it was by far the worst medical experience that C5 and I ever had together – even worse than getting shots. I was frustrated, and she was terrified. The dentist pushed through the exam even though C5 was panicked and screaming. Things really went awry when the dentist insisted that I lay down on the chair and restrain C5 so that she could count her teeth. You can be sure that C5 and I will never forget that, and we’ll never go back to that dentist.

In an effort to avoid living through that again, I got a referral from our pediatrician for a new dentist. Other moms told me how wonderful this new particular dentist is. So I dove in and made an appointment for both kids. It turned out to be a great decision!

Today C5 panicked just as the hygienist touched her mouth. It took some time to calm her down and coax her back into the chair. Our hygienist spent a long time showing her the instruments and explaining the procedures step by step. With much patience the hygenist was able to clean C5’s teeth and finish most of the exam. This hygienist even got C5 to laugh! The dentist himself was also quite successful with his examination. He explained that his approach is to establish trust and then help kids learn cope with the whole dental experience rather than avoid things that cause problems for child such as noise and light. He believes that it is the best way to equip children with special needs for the real world. I completely agree with him. We are returning to the dentist in a couple of weeks in order to establish that dental visits are OK and to build familiarity. He is even going to try to do things that are unexpected in order to teach C5 how to cope with a dentist visit.

C5 was positive and proud at the end of the visit. She was trilled that she was able to tell everyone all the things that she learned at the dentist. She was also particularly excited about one discovery that the dentist made. C5 has two loose teeth.

HERE COMES THE TOOTH FAIRY!