I recognize that dental meltdowns are common amongst children but having bore witness to Izzy's, I can't imagine another more tragic. His dental trauma has become legendary in my mind. And so I dread taking him to the dentist, so much so that I let 9 months elapse between visits. Our last appointment wasn't nearly as bad as the previous but it still wasn't exactly what I had in mind.
Today things were very different. We were very excited to visit the dentist for two reasons.
First, we decided to try a new dentist. This pediatric dentist, Dr. Parhar, is my friend and mother of Izzy's great friend and schoolmate, J. Second, we were going along with Izzy's friend T. Our day was what I would characterize as a dental playdate! Something I highly recommend!
T. was first in the dentist's chair, while Izzy and I were invited to watch. Dr. P. had her giggling nearly the entire time. Her calm, gentle manner was just the thing to put her little patients at ease.
When it was Izzy's turn, he was eager to climb into the dentist's chair, not something I'd ever expected to see. Granted it helped that he knew her but given his past, I still envisioned some hesitation. There was none. Dr. P. managed to clean, floss and paint fluoride on without so much as a whimper. This time he actually didn't mind the taste of the toothpaste. He even got to try two flavors. Chocolate mint was definitely a hit, too bad my dentist doesn't have it! When the visit was over, the kids were treated to stickers, balloons and a summer-themed toy from the bin.
We grown-ups treated ourselves to a trip to Whole Foods, conveniently located only 5 minutes from the office. We had lunch and shopped. I marveled at Izzy's gleaming teeth as he chowed down on a full meal of Indian delights from the WF salad bar. When lunch was over, we strolled the vast aisles of the store and Izzy made a bee-line for the fish counter. The clams and shrimp called to him and I agreed to purchasing a bag shrimp for our dinner, which is something I am not wont to do. But that story is for tomorrow.
Tonight I will rest easy, knowing that Izzy's teeth are strong and healthy, ready to chew on all sorts of wonderful foods.
p.s. A bottom tooth is loose!!
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2 comments:
When my kids were younger, we had a reputation with their pediatric dentist. Every time the kids were scheduled for that day, the doctor would bring extra scrubs. My kids always threw up from the laughing gas.
Oh, you must have been right in these here environs of W.O. and the giganta-Whole Foods!
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