The dentist
The dentist has traditionally been an ordeal for the boy child, even though our dentist and her hygienists are all pain-free, non-scary and really excellent with kids. It's all the sensory stuff, I think -- the chair that goes up, down, forward and back (this is a problem at the haircut place, too), the squirters and suckers that make noise, the holding open of the mouth, the bright light, and worst of all, the bitewing x-rays.
The boy child has never, ever let them take bitewing x-rays of his mouth. Until today.
The girl child took her turn first, as she always does, because she is a model patient who actually enjoys going to the dentist. The boy and I had to leave the room during the x-ray portion of her exam, but we were able to watch through the door. Our dentist does digital x-rays, so I showed the boy how there was a big hunk of plastic and wires covered with a plastic sleeve, and how there was a little tab that he would bite on, and the hygienist would move the x-ray camera thingie right next to his cheek and then it would beep and he'd be done. And he was all psyched up for it, he said.
When it was his turn he did GREAT with the cleaning and whatnot. The hygienist already knows that she has to warn him before she moves the chair or squirts the water in his mouth or whatever, because we do this twice a year and it's always with the same lady (who is absolutely wonderful). We saved the x-rays for last, and she used the smallest, er, x-ray thingie that they use on the little kids, and the boy did okay until she started positioning it in his mouth. Then he got upset and started to gag and cry.
Right about that time, while I was standing in the hall trying to decide whether to go back in and try to calm him, the dentist walked by. She told the boy child that sometimes it helps if kids raise one leg while they get their x-ray. So she suggested that he try that, reminding him to concentrate on keeping that one leg up. And it worked! The hygienist worked quickly and they got two sets of x-rays on the boy, for the first time EVER.
Wow!
In other news, the boy brought home his scores for the math portion of the TAKS test, and he only missed ONE problem on the whole entire test (he got a 100% on the reading portion a couple of months ago). And the girl child won a raffle at the school carnival enabling her to have a princess tea party with her teacher and some other girls after school tomorrow. They're also going to make a fairy doll and a sachet and a pillow. There will be sewing! And snacking! The girl child is over the moon.
Tonight, we celebrate with take-out pizza!
The boy child has never, ever let them take bitewing x-rays of his mouth. Until today.
The girl child took her turn first, as she always does, because she is a model patient who actually enjoys going to the dentist. The boy and I had to leave the room during the x-ray portion of her exam, but we were able to watch through the door. Our dentist does digital x-rays, so I showed the boy how there was a big hunk of plastic and wires covered with a plastic sleeve, and how there was a little tab that he would bite on, and the hygienist would move the x-ray camera thingie right next to his cheek and then it would beep and he'd be done. And he was all psyched up for it, he said.
When it was his turn he did GREAT with the cleaning and whatnot. The hygienist already knows that she has to warn him before she moves the chair or squirts the water in his mouth or whatever, because we do this twice a year and it's always with the same lady (who is absolutely wonderful). We saved the x-rays for last, and she used the smallest, er, x-ray thingie that they use on the little kids, and the boy did okay until she started positioning it in his mouth. Then he got upset and started to gag and cry.
Right about that time, while I was standing in the hall trying to decide whether to go back in and try to calm him, the dentist walked by. She told the boy child that sometimes it helps if kids raise one leg while they get their x-ray. So she suggested that he try that, reminding him to concentrate on keeping that one leg up. And it worked! The hygienist worked quickly and they got two sets of x-rays on the boy, for the first time EVER.
Wow!
In other news, the boy brought home his scores for the math portion of the TAKS test, and he only missed ONE problem on the whole entire test (he got a 100% on the reading portion a couple of months ago). And the girl child won a raffle at the school carnival enabling her to have a princess tea party with her teacher and some other girls after school tomorrow. They're also going to make a fairy doll and a sachet and a pillow. There will be sewing! And snacking! The girl child is over the moon.
Tonight, we celebrate with take-out pizza!
posted by Miss Anthrope at 3:19 PM
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