NO WAY!
Today I took Leila to her first dentist appointment. She HATES when I try to brush her teeth (so I must confess, it doesn't happen often b/c of the struggle), but she always comes to me to help her get food out of between her teeth, so I knew the trip to the dentist would either be a DISASTER or a BREEZE. Enter Disaster.
Leila is seriously the funniest kid ever, but when "outside" people are around (meaning anyone besides mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, Troy, Shawn, Michelle, or Kiley) she clams up. She just observes. She went the entire Easter weekend in practical silence compared to how rowdy she usually is!
So when we went to the dentist, the same clammed up behavior presented itself. She finally sat on the chair after I sat on it and had her sit with me. But there was NO WAY she was going to open her mouth and show her beautiful teeth to the dentist. So they introduced her (and her monkey) to the tools - the mouth mirror, the toothbrush (and brushed her fingernail with it so she could see it doesn't hurt), and the spit sucker. She ALMOST gave a smile, but held it in.
I asked for advise on how to get her to brush her teeth. The dentist and two different hygienists told me to lay her down, pin her arms with my knees, and do it that way. I may even have to pry her mouth with my fingers. "but it will be worth it." I believe him. I just don't want to be the one who has to do all the effort and make her hate me for brushing her teeth!
She got a cool toothbrush that looks like a marker. It's awesome. We opened it and she started brushing her teeth like she does it all the time. The insurance company will be paying a LOT of money for that toothbrush, since we didn't get anything else out of the visit. The Dentist reassured me that for 2 1/2 , her behavior was more normal than not. He wasn't frustrated. He wasn't rushed. He just spent as much time with her as he would have if he were checking her teeth. He also reassured me that bringing her in was a good thing to help get her familiarized with the place and know that it's not scary (until her first cavity.)
Here's to hoping the next visit later this year will be more successful. Also, wish me luck in trying to get her teeth brushed on a daily basis.
2 comments:
the pinning down trick to brush is what i do. with toa now i just let him walk around with his toothbrush so maybe if she has one that she thinks is really cool and you just let her walk around with it she'll get used to it in her mouth?
Nope. She has like 4. Blue ones, Dora, Crayon looking ones. Nothing. But yesterday she let me "count/brush" her teeth with water only. I might have to try that for a while, then add the toothpaste. We've tried grape and berry - didn't like either flavor. Stubborn child.
Post a Comment