Sugar Bugs

Just a few days ago, Sweet Pea went to the dentist. I woke up that morning remembering that I almost scheduled her appointment for 8:10am. I would have been crazy to have done that. I got a more reasonable time at 4:00pm. I brushed her teeth twice before we left just to be sure that they were clean. My husband was unable to watch Cocoa so she came along for the ride. I asked her several times to be good and to listen to mommy. So on the way I stopped at the bank and Sweet Pea said, "This isn't the dentist. I want to go to the dentist. I don't want to be late." The entire day I kept telling her that we didn't want to be late and sure enough here she is reminding me. Anyways, we make it to the dentist office and again I remind Cocoa to be good and for Sweet Pea not to be scared of the dentist. She had seen him last year for her very first dentist visit when she was three. The dentist apparently left the practice he was with to start his own and I thought since he was still covered by our plan that it would be a good idea to go to the same person. Last year though she was really shy and I'm sure scared. She had to sit in my lap and lean back so the dentist could count her teeth. So this new office was pretty cool. It had a play room for the kids to hang out in. I had to fill out paperwork and keep an eye on both girls when Sweet Pea said she had to go potty. Of course I do remember asking her to go before we left the house and I was sure she did but here we were having to go to the bathroom and I still had to fill out that paperwork and keep an eye on Cocoa. We came out of the restroom and the dental assistant was already looking for us. (Good service!) Now since Sweet Pea is only four, I thought it best for me to be with her and of course Cocoa had to come along too since I wasn't leaving her in the playroom by herself. So we got to the room, which was a little small, and took our spot in the corner. Sweet Pea looked so little sitting in that big dental chair. While I finished filling out the paperwork and keeping an eye on Cocoa, the assistant got to work on cleaning Sweet Pea's teeth. She even got to watch Finding Nemo on a TV screen mounted on the ceiling. They didn't have that when I was a kid. Cocoa was concerned the whole time about her big sister. I think it was the sound of the brush cleaning her teeth that might have made her concerned. It was very cute of Cocoa to be concerned. I had to keep telling her that Sweet Pea was OK all the while still trying to finish that paperwork and answer questions the assistant had. While cleaning her teeth, the assistant asked if Sweet Pea brushed teeth twice a day. She says yes (thankfully since we mostly only get to it once a day) and the assistant asked if she flossed her teeth. She says yes and then says no. The assistant goes on to describe the "Sugar Bugs" that get stuck in between your teeth and that it's important to have mommy help you floss. (Information noted for further use). Before you knew it, the assistant was done and I gave the OK to take x-rays. I didn't think they would need to do that yet since she's still young but since she sucks on her fingers still I thought it might be a good idea. She was SO GOOD!!!!! She sat very still and did what the assistant told her to do. I was SO proud. The lady thought Sweet Pea was so cute and adorable. So the assistant says to us that she's all done with the pictures and is going to go develop them and get the dentist. That's when cute, adorable little Sweet Pea says, "Last time there was this guy and he was scary. I was scared." (Of course she was referring to the dentist she saw last year who is set to come in her room soon.) The assistant and I assured her that he wasn't scary and shortly she returned with and loaded the x-rays on to the screen. Then a few short seconds later, the dentist arrives and says, "I'm not scary, I'm just silly." He goes on to ask her how old she is and she answers without me having to answer for her. He explains that he has a daughter her age. She even looks at him and shows him which two fingers she likes to suck on. At that same time, Cocoa puts her fingers in her mouth to do as her big sister does. (I can only deal with one child sucking on there fingers I don't need two. I got lucky when I took the pacifier away from Cocoa. It hasn't been an issue. Except every once in awhile I see her copy her sister. Not good!) So he checks he teeth and informs us that there are NO CAVITIES! YEAH!!! (Mommy's been doing a good job at brushing her teeth! Good job mommy!) He goes on to explain what would happen if Sweet Pea doesn't stop sucking on her fingers. At this point, she looks a little scared. Maybe the thought of having something metal placed in her mouth till she stops doesn't sound so good. So, we check out the x-rays and there are Sweet Pea's adult teeth hiding behind her baby teeth. It was weird to see. She's still my baby and the thought of her starting to lose those baby teeth and get big girl, adult teeth is difficult. They grow so fast. So the dentist is all done and the assistant asks if we want fluoride and I said, "Why not." I'm instructed that there is to be no hot liquid, brushing or flossing for 4-6 hours. (Hot liquid? Who gives their four year old hot liquid?) In the process Sweet Pea asks the assistant if she has two children. The assistant seemed surprised by the question and says, "That's a really grown up question to ask." I then chime in and say that the dentist mentioned that he had a daughter her age. Then she understood where the question came from (I guess. Kids do say the darnedest things.) So, for the first checkup in over a year (apparently you're suppose to do this every six months) things were good. But as we ride the elevator down to the ground floor, Cocoa starts to scream because she wants to push the buttons again. As we exit the elevator I told her how good she was up till that moment. I still stop at Starbucks on the way home and get the girls chocolate milk for being so good. Now I get to look forward to taking Cocoa to her first appointment. I have decided she won't go until she's three, like her big sister did. I have a hard time getting her to open her mouth for me to brush her teeth. I can't see her opening her mouth for a complete stranger.