Never a Dull Moment - Dentistry

I took Aidan to the dentist today.  As expected, the screaming began the moment I took him out of my car.  He didn't recognize the building - or maybe he did - and he wanted no part of it.  It got louder and more intense with every step we took toward the doorway, and when we finally got inside, he was almost deafening.  He wouldn't even cozy up to the Ms. Pac-Man Game that they so thoughtfully provide (complete with stepstool and unlimited free plays!).

When we got back to the dentist's lair perfectly harmless room, I sat in a chair with Aidan, and laid his head down in the hygienist's lap.  She carefully chose a dye-free toothpaste and foam (Foam? No idea what this is.  Should I be foaming him?) after we talked through all twenty six of his food allergies (and let's not forget red dye!) and brushed his choppers.  Yeah, he was still screaming.

When she was done, the dentist came in and took a peek in his mouth - his teeth are nice and strong, although we still see some staining (whether from his reflux or the iron in his formula - we don't know) on the back teeth.  We'll continue to brush with baking soda at home and when we come back in 6 months, we'll discuss scheduling some OR time to have him sedated for a cleaning.  I'm calling it a win that she's unconcerned about the pacifier still.

On the way out, Aidan was rewarded with a new toothbrush, two stickers, and a yellow bouncy ball.  all was right in his little world - and he even stopped to play Ms. Pac-Man!

 

 Unfortunately, as I was buckling him into his carseat, I noticed a distinct reddening of his cheeks and a few scattered hives on his face.  Crap.  I knew I should have checked the toothpaste ingredients myself.  Allergy mom fail :(

Never a dull moment, but he's okay.  And now we know that we need to be more careful.

Aidan Rocks Dentistry...

I've been dreading this.  Apparently, good parenting requires regular visits to the Dentist.  I hate the Dentist - but it's entirely unfair to put that on him, so off we went for the exciting first time...


Our first discovery?  This place has Pac Man.  We might never leave.

Our next discovery?  Aidan can reach the buttons.  Seriously, not leaving.

We practiced opening wide and saying "AHHHHHH!" from the safety of the Pac Man machine.  This feat would not be repeated in the Dentist's actual exam room.

The exam itself was easy - just a peek in his mouth, a count of the teeth, and a clean bill of oral health.  No cavities, no plaque, no damage of any kind yet from bottles or binkies.  A reminder never to send him to bed with a bottle (we know) and to try to wean him off the binky by age 3.

And we're done!  Back in six months.  But boy are we going to miss Pac Man...