Friday, September 11, 2009
Open Wide
D: Last week the boys had their first trip to the dentist. It was an appointment that I've been regretting, simply because I imagined the worse... I mean, come on, I know my kids! They usually can't sit still for more than a few minutes. Twice a day they resist having their teeth brushed by us. They certainly are not 100% without stranger anxiety. Yet, last week they confirmed one of my favorite parenting tenets, "never underestimate your children's ability to continue to surprise you".
Both kids were angels during the entire visit. They were sweet to the staff, allowing them to poke around in their mouths with all their goofy contraptions, and even saying 'thank you' when they were done.
It certainly made all the difference that we were in LOVE with our new pediatric dentist the minute we arrived. They had a kids play room in the front. The staff were very accommodating of scheduling twins back to back, and allowing us to maneuver between the two kids in the play room and the exam room. The technician let each kid play with each tool for quite a while before asking if it was OK if she went into their mouths with them. And the best part: there was a flat screen TV on the ceiling above the exam chair, so while the boys patiently laid on the chair with their mouths wide open, they were able to watch The Incredibles and listen to it on headphones.
The Dentist gave both boys (and their parents!) a thumbs up on the status of their teeth. Everything's looking good, except that he did confirm that O's front two teeth are 'dead' from a fall he took months ago on the pavement. They are slightly discolored and will be until they fall out.
There's nothing permanently damaging and his new teeth with grow in just fine. The only thing we're worried about now is his self esteem. It's not super noticeable (we didn't even notice it for a while!) and we make sure not to make a big deal about it. I do, however, find myself telling him more and more what an adorable smile he has... which of course he does!