Positive Dentist Experience

I should talk about our positive dental experiences since I have been focusing a lot on our negative YMCA swim lessons experience. (I think YMCA swim lessons will be fine for Nick, and the YMCA soccer league was awesome for Xander, but on top of the swim lessons not working for Xander, they are also doing construction right next to the pool. There are fumes of paint, sawdust, gasoline, and general yuckiness wafting over the pool. The big construction area, complete with construction vehicles, is on the way from the entrance to the temporary outdoor entrance to the pool. The fence is always wide open. If someone wasn't watching their toddler every step of the way, a kid could easily walk in, pick up some rusty nails, fall in the large hole, etc. Today they had only one working bathroom. I'm guessing plumbing was damaged in the construction process?)

Oh yeah, focusing on the positive... We have a new pediatric dentist as of six months ago because we moved here and needed a new one, obviously. It is a long but pretty drive to their office. It was really hard to find the first time, so we didn't start off on the right foot. We were late due to the confusion in directions and I had also forgotten my cell phone at home, so I couldn't call them to ask for help or warn them we were running late.

At the office, they were calm and friendly. They didn't have an uber-kids'-fantasy-waiting-room like our last pediatric dentist, but I didn't like that last one anyway. My children were fine with this waiting room. Xander went back on his own (their preference). He had negative experiences with our previous dentist, reminiscent of the swim lessons fiasco. He was okay going back on his own at the new place. I went in with Nick. The dentist asked me to have him sit on my lap facing me so he could lay back on the dentist's lap. He sang to Nick while he brushed his teeth, counted them, and put fluoride on them. It was a quick process and I liked the dentist's manner. He was positive and nice even with Nick crying loudly the whole time. The good part was that he could see every nook and cranny of those teeth because Nick's mouth was open so wide. Then we were done!

Xander had gone through his own check-up all by himself and was fine and happy. They said his teeth looked good. End our first appointment.

Waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy better than at the previous dentist. I do have to say that the expensive and traumatic procedure they recommended of putting fillings and sealants in Xander's baby teeth seems to have worked. If his teeth are good now but had several cavities a couple years ago, it's probably thanks to the dental work. He brushes his teeth twice a day and flosses them but he's six years old. Ya know. I try to take a turn doing his teeth every once in a while and I periodically retrain him, but he is still six. Oh, the other thing we've changed based on that previous dentist's advice is to NOT give gummy vitamins anymore. Oops. I was miffed when that dentist's office always offered the kids candy, though.

This new dentist's office says parents MUST brush their children's teeth for them twice a day until they turn eight years old. That seems overkill to me but I understand the principle.

So I'm only just now getting to our appointment of a few days ago. We got there easily. Xander went back on his own easily. Nick and I went back for the same routine. This time he did not make a peep, other than when I said he would have to lay back in the dentist's lap. He quietly said, "I don't wanna lay back," but he did it anyway. He was quiet and calm the whole time and responded to the dentist. (With grunts - don't you hate when they talk to you with your mouth stuck open?)

Both sets of teeth looked great. I asked if Nick really did have an extra tooth on the top like our previous dentist had said. The dentist said Nick did have an extra but he wouldn't recommend extracting it for another year because the experience might be traumatic. I heartily agree! He said the tooth would have to come out, though, to let the adult teeth come through when it was time.

Then we were done! Nick said he wanted to stay at the dentist.

My children have done a complete turnaround from the previous dental experiences. I am happy with our new dentist!