I’ve been dreading this ‘first’ since Helen Grace’s first tooth came in, but at three years old, I knew it was finally time to take the girl to the dentist. We are so lucky to have a great pediatric dentist group in Southaven, and a dentist friend recommended Dr. Jason Coleman. I’ve taken her with me to my dentist once a few months ago to give her a feel for it. I didn’t give her more than a day or two heads up of her appointment for fear of freaking her out, and while she wasn’t crazy about the idea, she didn’t protest too much. The waiting room was great and made her instantly at ease. She played and played while we waited.
When the dental hygienist called her name though, she started getting nervous. It took me a minute to talk her into sitting on the chair (laying down on it was out of the question), but after a few minutes of her warming up, she let the hygienist clean her teeth with some fluoride foam and a toothbrush. That was all they wanted to accomplish on the first appointment, so we sat there and waited for the doctor, checking out all the details of the chair area and the back office. She got much more comfortable with it all as she watched other kids come and go, but when the doc came to her, she got nervous again. I had him show her on me what he wanted to do – which was just look around with her mirror and bite down and open her mouth. She finally decided that was ok for him to do and opened up. Whew! Afterward, she got to pick a prize, and she was soooo excited. Overall, this first was a success, and now we’ve been charged with using ‘big girl’ (fluoride) toothpaste and flossing every now and then. I’m not sure who was more relieved to have this behind us- her or me!
Making herself at home
Finally letting her get in her mouth
Ok, that’s enough, lady!
OH! There’s a tv up there!
Picking out a prize from the doc- a duck whistle.
Her prize from Mama- cupcakes!
3 comments:
The first dentist appointment can be terrifying since it puts the child in a strange place. It was good that the dentist was gentle with her and let her warm up first. This is important as children need to know that everything will be okay, and the dentist can be trusted.
Darcy Losh
I agree that it was good that the dentist let Helen warm up first before letting her open her mouth. This quality is noteworthy for a dentist, as it is most often difficult for children to enjoy going to the dentist. Clearly, the dentist knows how to deal with children and knows what she is doing. It was excellent that you pick a dentist that can present a certain level of entertainment, which placed your child at ease. It was great that they had a good initial encounter and that they had established a good rapport.
Ted Grimmer
Flat out that your dentist is a good one. A good dentist lets the child get accustomed to the new environment at her own pace, never demanding and never forcing her. A good dentist is also sensitive and creates a good rapport with both the parents and the child. Kudos to Helen for also having a great time. She’s a brave little girl. : )
- Landon Heath
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