AC and the Dentist

Smooth sailing this weekend, a concert (AC's first), date night for Clayton and I, and a musical so far.  Things weren't so copacetic earlier this week, however.  After a routine visit to our dentist, it was discovered that AC had a cavity.  I was a little surprised, the kids don't get much candy (we throw away more than we eat) and we don't do soda...okay, well, the KIDS don't.  *Insert sheepish smile*  Come to find out, the cavity was in between her molars which are so tight it's difficult to get dental floss in between them.  After further rumination, I realized our culprit was probably fruit snacks which, let's face it, are just candy in fruit's clothing.  My children can eat their weight in those nasty little gummies.  We scheduled an appointment for a filling and went home.

Now, AC is a high-strung kid and I have NO idea where she gets that...*ahem*  I remember screaming like I was being murdered on the floor of my grandparents' bathroom, both parents sitting on various appendages while one of them brandished a pair of tweezers.  Yup, it was a splinter and I was terrified.  Hyperventilating and the whole bit.  I've experienced similar situations with AC.  I should also point out that this kid has the constitution of an elephant when it comes to any sort of sedative or anesthesia.  She comes by this honest; her dad and I need to be shot with horse tranquilizers in order to be "out".  Benadryl may as well be KoolAid to this kid.

That being said, I don't think it's any surprise that the filling didn't go as planned.  The nitrous was completely ineffective and when she saw the syringe, all bets were off.  Our dentist was fabulous, though, and laughed it off, not charging us a dime for her time or supplies.  She referred us to a pediatric dentist who found EIGHT cavities, one of which was in need of a root canal!!  I was skeptical and agonized over paying so much for dental work on baby teeth, but that's fodder for another post.

Knowing that my kid can end up much like a panicked octopus with a steam whistle, I opted for the pre-meds which is a "juice" the kids get to make them a bobble head.  That went smoothly, but after the prescribed hour in which it should kick in, she was fine.  I even checked her pupils...they were TINY!! I was able to go back with her (which was a good thing or she would have been crying before it even started).  AC did fine, although there were a lot of frantic questions (her delay tactic), until the dentist, in an attempt to show her the "tickle jelly", accidentally flung the topical in her eye.  Priceless.

It was soon after the eyeball numbing that the dentist attempted to surreptitiously grab her syringe.  AC was not to be fooled by the "squirter" and was held down by two hygienists, one with her hand prying AC's mouth open while she screamed bloody murder.

Sidenote: I don't know about any of you, but when my kids get shots and scream their heads off, I laugh.  It's not that I enjoy their pain or anything, but I just can't help it.  My mom did the same thing, maybe it's genetic...

After the shots, she was still FREAKING OUT crying and hyperventilating and everything.  One older hygienist got all up in her grill and sternly told her to, "Stop it or I'll have to wrap you up* and you don't want that.  You're a big girl and you will stop it right now."  At first I was a bit taken aback by someone being so ascetic with my child, but soon found myself cheering her on as it was working and you KNOW it NEVER works when I try to calm her down.  Once the tears were dried, it was cake from then on.  

She did well and, thank God, no root canal was necessary (I wasn't looking forward to paying for that).  We have two more visits to clear up the rest of them and she isn't quite as anxious about those.  

After the harrowing adventure, she took a LONG nap.

Until then, 

AC 'n' Rory's Mom