My daughter hates having her teeth brushed. My wife and I do our best to brush them every night but we have to sing songs and do whatever we can to make her cooperate. So you can imagine our concern over taking our little girl to the dentist for her first checkup.My wife was very diligent in researching pediatric dentists and making a list of those who do sedated dentistry and have rights to practice at our local children's hospital. That turned out to be a pretty short list. But there was one dentist located near our home who fit all those requirements and is covered by our insurance. (Always important)
So this past week my daughter went this nearby dentist for her first checkup. We were very impressed with the outcome. The dentist was able to look into her mouth, check her teeth and get a good feel for her oral health. He didn't feel like she needed to be sedated and he just performed the exam in his regular office. My daughter was pretty upset during the actual exam, but she calmed down okay afterward. The dentist let her pick a prize and she was all good after that point. That evening when I got home from work my little one proudly displayed the glasses and trick nose she'd selected from the toy bin.
My daughter's teeth appeared to be pretty healthy. The dentist didn't see any sign of her upper canine teeth that just never came in. This has caused some wide spaces between her top front teeth, but they don't pose any problem. You can see the gaps in her top teeth in the picture at the top of this post. The dentist asked us to begin flossing the teeth that don't have the big spaces to prevent any food getting trapped in there. Seems like a good idea but I'll admit that flossing seems daunting considering the struggle we have just to brush. We'll give it our best shot though. We're thinking of trying one of those flossing tools that have a handle to prevent losing any fingers.
So the first visit went well, my daughter's teeth looked good and we'll start into a regular, twice yearly cycle to keep her teeth healthy.
5 comments:
I'm glad to hear that the trip to the dentist went well! It must be something with being 3! Our little 3 year old hates his teeth brushed too. We usually only get either the tops or bottoms done. And he isn't the greatest spitter. Don't get too alarmed, my mom's canine teeth never came in. Tell Whitney her teeth look shiney and white!
Thanks, Angie. We tried flossing Whit's teeth for the first time last night. Wow, was that a traumatic ordeal. I think we'll concentrate on getting just two or three teeth done each night for a while. She got pretty upset! :-S
It's really nice to hear that your daughter's first visit to the dentist went well beyond your expectations. I can also relate to having problems about brushing her teeth. I have the same situation with my son as well. But anyways, good luck to you guys.
-Ed Mcgoldrick
Thanks, Ed. Over the years going to the dentist and brushing teeth has gotten easier. We're just consistent with Whit. She knows each night the brush is coming. She still fights it and bites it once it's in her mouth, but it's not as big of a struggle as it once was. Good luck to you!
Oh well, it’s good to know that your daughter is now into the idea of brushing. I think it’s pretty normal for kids to be stubborn sometimes. As long as they’re doing their part to maintain healthy teeth, it’s okay. :) If they did a great job in taking good care of their teeth, you should give them some sort of reward. This will encourage them to be consistent with their oral hygiene.
Marg Skidmore
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