First Dentist Visit

There is much conflicting advice in regards to the appropriate age to take a child to the dentist. I've heard it's best to schedule a dentist appointment as soon as that first tooth emerges and then I've heard a dentist visit isn't necessary until age three. I made the conclusion that, with so few teeth, we could make the same observations as a dentist. There is nothing we were concerned over, so we held off on the premature dentist visits. However, Kirk experienced some extreme dental issues over the last several weeks and it sorta sent me into a state of paranoia. So I headed to dentist, hand in hand with my favorite 2 year old and favorite 1 year old.  

Despite my efforts to prepare Lyla for going to the dentist, she kept saying she was scared about it. I was worried this would transform into being uncooperative. Instead she was the exact opposite. I was so impressed when she agreed to sit in the chair all on her own. She let the dentist examine her mouth and apply a fluoride treatment. She did comment that it felt weird, but nothing else. There wasn't even any battle when it came to brushing and flossing. He told Lyla he was scrubbing "bugs" off her teeth. She thought that was pretty funny. He noticed that her bottom teeth are very tight, which suggests her permanent teeth will be crowded. That isn't a surprise though since both Kirk and I were cursed with hill billy teeth. Thank you braces!

The dentist gave Lyla an A+ for keeping her teeth clean & healthy. To be honest I was actually a little surprised by this response because I know sending her to bed with a bottle is frowned upon. It's basically the same as falling asleep with a lollipop in your mouth. He was giving her so much praise though, so I decided that our dirty little secret didn't need to be shared. 

Max was eager for his turn. As I mentioned before, he insists on doing everything he sees his big sister do. He was cooperative, then they applied the fluoride treatment and he got all hot & bothered. It's okay though. He gets a free pass for being only 18 months old. 

Max doesn't have as many teeth to investigate, but the dentist said everything looks good for him too. I asked him to take a close look at Max's front teeth since he sleeps with a pacifier. He said there is a slight shift, but it's nothing to be worried about at this point. Apparently it's only a concern when the teeth start to tilt completely sideways. Yikes! 

Overall they were pretty much the poster children for kid dental patients. The dentist even said, "These kids are so mellow." And I thought to myself, "Yeaaaah. You should come spend a day at my house!" That was a nice compliment though. I am pleased my kids were well mannered.