Anyways, back to today. We had decided today would be Ryan's first official visit to Dr. Tony (his informal name) for a cleaning and check-up. I was very nervous about this for several reasons:
- Ryan hates doctors.
- Ryan will not let me brush his teeth or look in his mouth.
- Ryan does not like to be reclined back.
- Ryan currently has a yucky cold which makes him more sensitive than usual.
Once we got Ryan into the examining chair, he started to get nervous. The hygienist asked what the best procedure might be, showing him instruments and explaining things, or just getting right into it? Seeing Ryan was nervous, and not paying much attention to her anyway, we said just to go for it. So, she showed him how the chair moved up and down, and leaned him back. Right away, he started to shake and cry a bit, and grabbed a hold of Papa's hands with a vice-like grip! I knew he wouldn't like that part! He maintained his grip on Papa's hands while the hygienist gently put on the bib, got Ryan to lay back, and tried to take a look in his mouth. She showed him the special toothbrush, but he cried out once or twice and clamped his mouth shut. She didn't want to upset Ryan too much, so she asked if we'd like to skip the cleaning and just have Dr. Tony come in and take a look. We agreed.
This was a good plan. Dr. Tony was busy finishing with another patient, so Papa and I had a few minutes to sit with Ryan and calm him. We kept him reclined, so he'd get used to it. Ryan was still gripping Papa's hands, but he started to relax. I was massaging his legs, and Papa was massaging his hands, and Ryan liked that. We kept talking to him reassuringly, and he started to seem more curious than anxious.
Then Dr. Tony came in and talked to Ryan about looking in his mouth. He was so patient and gentle! I don't know how he did it, but he managed to get Ryan to open his mouth a bit a few times.
Yes, it helped that Ryan let out one or two brief cries, and Dr. Tony got a good peek in. But he didn't force Ryan to do anything. He managed to get the little mirror in once or twice to peek at Ryan's back teeth, and even got his fingers in Ryan's mouth a few times. He showed Ryan the little air hose and put a few puffs on Ryan's arms (and in his armpit!) to make him giggle.
After the examination, he picked Ryan up and gave him a cuddle, lots of praise, and then walked Ryan over to pick a prize out of the treasure chest. Ryan was more interested in the dental items on a nearby shelf! We had a laugh over that, and gave him a toothbrush. Then Dr. Tony picked him up on his knee to see into the treasure chest. What did Ryan do? His put his head on Dr. Tony's shoulder and gave him a big hug! It was so sweet!
Papa took Ryan out to the waiting room while Dr. Tony and I chatted. He said Ryan's teeth are very healthy: no cavities or other issues. Yay! He had some good suggestions for slowly making Ryan more comfortable with a tooth brush and dental examinations, like giving him a toothbrush just to chew on, or wiping his mouth out with a cloth (like I did with the kids when they were babies). He also really emphasized it's important not to push Ryan, or distress him, because we don't want him to be totally against dental interventions. (I really saw that today in how he and his staff handled Ryan's appointment. It was perfect.) He's really happy that Ryan has such a healthy diet and prefers milk; I guess it's one blessing of his limited food preferences because he doesn't eat much sugary food. However, he would like us to try introducing a little more water after milk or meals, just to rinse off the teeth.
We decided that Ryan's next appointment will be with the other kids (in 9 months--dental coverage, you know), so he can watch his brother and sister and see what they do. Maybe watching them will encourage him to participate more (both Andrea and Kevin are good at the dentist's). We will try again next time to do a cleaning, but again, we won't force the issue. If Ryan should have any tooth problems when we see Dr. Tony again, and Ryan's still not comfortable with the basic procedures, Dr. Tony will refer him to a pediatric dentist who specializes in helping anxious/special needs children.
Overall, it was a great appointment, thanks to the gentleness and understanding of Dr. Tony and his wonderful staff!
***
On a similar note, speaking of the pediatric specialist dentist, Kevin had to get some work done this week at Dr. Young's. After his and Andrea's check-up with Dr. Tony last week, they discovered Kevin has a tooth condition similar to one Andrea had around his age, too. Basically, some of their back molars have fissures/pits in them. It's not exactly cavities, and it's not due to poor dental hygiene. It's something the dentist actually suspects happened as their tooth buds developed in utero. It makes these teeth more vulnerable to cavities and other future issues, so it's better to treat them proactively. So, a year or so ago, Andrea was referred to Dr. Young and got a special sealant applied to two or three of her back teeth, and one got a silver cap as well. Now, Kevin was referred to Dr. Young for the same reason, and went yesterday and got the sealant treatment on three of his back teeth. He did great! Of course, it helped that he was prescribed some relaxation medication to take before the appointment, and got nitrous oxide during the procedure. He also got to watch Phineas and Ferb on a little screen while they did the procedure. Andrea remembers that she got to watch Spongebob when she got her teeth done. LOL I guess those are the bonus amenities at the pediatric specialist's office.
Kevin will be going back in December for a follow-up because one of his back teeth is not quite through yet, so Dr. Young wasn't sure if that one will need treatment, too. We have to wait till it comes in.
She also noted that Kevin has several loose teeth, and she could see on x-ray the ones ready to push through soon. I think the tooth fairy should get ready to make frequent trips to our house!
By the way, she did note the one tooth that fell out a long time ago and how the new one hasn't come through yet. As I suspected, it's one that Kevin bumped a few years ago, and it fell out prematurely a few months ago. It's not hurting anything; he'll just continue to have a gap for a while, because that tooth's not ready to come in anytime soon. ;)
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