Katie had her first ever visit to the dentist on Monday morning. I know, experts say you should take you kid to the dentist by the time they're 1, blah blah blah... With the pediatrician always giving Katie the A-OK and the fact that she couldn't actually sit still until she was at least 3, it wasn't a priority to me since her teeth look fine.
But back to the visit. We chose a pediatric dentist based on a recommendation from my dentist -- it's where he sends his own kids. I was immediately impressed at the waiting room and restroom and how kid-friendly they made them, with interesting decorations, toys to play with, books and magazines aimed at kids, and cartoons available to watch. They even had a pint-sized toilet and sink in the restroom. Once it was Katie's turn, we went into her exam room, decorated with airplanes. There was a TV in the ceiling so she could watch Dora while laying down in the chair. (TV in the ceiling! They sure don't have that at my dentist!) Katie did a great job and was very still while they hygienist took her x-rays (Digital x-rays! Another thing they don't have at my dentist.) and cleaned and polished her teeth. Then Katie felt she was done.
The only problem was, the hygienist asked us to wait a minute while she got the dentist, and Katie didn't want to wait. She thought they hygienist WAS the dentist and got antsy that we had to sit around for another person to examine her. When the dentist came in, Katie immediately froze up. He's a guy. Katie automatically distrusts almost all men when she first meets them. I'm not sure why, because as long as I'm there with her, she knows she's safe. Nevertheless, she wanted nothing to do with her dentist, and it took a great effort to get her to lay back down and hold my hands (so that she'd keep them away from her face) while Dr. Sanjuan counted her teeth. He identified one area where we should concentrate while flossing, otherwise, PERFECT! I was so happy to hear that they were as healthy as I'd hoped. Katie was happy to get up and get out of there with her goody bag of toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, stickers, and a bracelet. We talked about it later and she admitted it really wasn't that bad and even said she will try harder to like Dr. Sanjuan next time. :) I'm just glad it was a relatively uneventful visit. We'll see Dr. Sanjuan again in 6 months!
Love his name! :) Does it rhyme with Don Juan??
ReplyDeleteGreat job with the checkup, both of you!
This is something I need to get Nikki (and I guess Michael, too) in for. Thanks for the reminder!
Yes indeed he rhymes with Don Juan!
ReplyDeleteI could tell right away that he is very patient and kind, and I'm sure he was not offended by the fact Katie didn't want to talk to him. He probably sees that, or worse, on a regular basis. Since I honestly don't mind dental check-ups, I was pretty relaxed for the whole thing. I hope Katie picked up on that, too, and will remember it for next time. She just needs a visit or 2 to warm up to him.