I have a lot on my plate right now and so blogging has fallen by the wayside. As has returning email, in case you were wondering. (sigh) And blog reading and commenting, those are both happening way less often, too. Busy is good and all but I wouldn’t mind a week relaxing somewhere on a hammock slung between two big green trees.
Back to reality!
I was at the dentist yesterday and my teeth are just great. This is a big deal because I am full of fillings, most of which I got before the age of 12. I have two or three fillings on some molars because my teeth are “groovy” (not like the Brady Bunch; as in having grooves). Noah’s teeth are groovy, too, and pitty as well, which is why he had a baby root canal at 27 months. One of his teeth came in so slowly that a bit of food got under the gum and by the time it broke the surface it was already rotted out. He had the rest of his teeth sealed as did my brother and as a result, they’ve escaped cavities for the most part. I know those sealants are somewhat controversial but frankly, I wish I’d had ‘em when I was a kid instead of all of these mercury fillings I can’t afford to have replaced.
We moved a lot and so I had a lot of different dentists. There was one my mom found in the phone book, not having time to research since we’d just moved to the area. What I remember is that the exam rooms were all in one long room and all the dentist chairs were lined up in front of a wall of glass that looked out on a tropical-looking garden. (So maybe it was California? I remember palm trees but I’m not sure.) Anyway I remember sitting in the chair waiting for him to come around and check whether or not the novocaine was working (it wasn’t) and I was watching the plants blow around in the garden because it was windy and maybe rainy. (I wonder though if I’ve made the storm up because of what happened next.)
The dentist finally came by and decided the novacaine was working so he started to drill. And the novacaine wasn’t working so it hurt like a m*therf*cker and I started to try to scream only his hands were in my mouth so I was trying to kick and he was getting mad because I wouldn’t be still. He took his hands out of my mouth but left the stuff in (cotton? his little magnifying mirror?) so I couldn’t talk. Then he elbows and forearms on my chest and pushed down so that I couldn’t breathe and hissed right into my face and threatened me. I don’t remember the threat; I just remember the feeling of being suffocated and terrified and I remember how the drill hurt.
I think I was about eight and that’s when I started being afraid of the dentist.
Brett finds me those gentle dentists. He got me a great one in Portland and now I go to a huge practice where everyone is trained to be very very kind plus they have televisions in each exam room and ineffectual but well intentioned massage inserts on all the chairs. Then they check every time they do something.
“Is it already to spray some water in your mouth? Was that too much water? Would you like a kleenex to wipe the splashing? Is it all right if I floss now?”
I went five years without a cleaning before I finally let Brett lead the way and he spent time tracking people down, interviewing the receptionists and telling them I was a hard sell. I’m grateful to the burgeoning kinder and gentler dentail industry for making it easier for me to show up and open wide.
My bad dentist memories is also why we pay more for our kids to go to Dr. Jo-Jo (Josephine Strickler for you local types). Yes, it’s more expensive but when Noah had that baby root canal? She was the only dentist who would do it without putting him under. I’ve yet to meet another kid who had the same procedure who didn’t have to do it under general anesthesia. And it was fine. What I like about Dr. Jo-Jo is that she’ll do whatever it takes to keep kids happy in the chair. So during his pulpectomy, I was straddling his legs and putting on a puppet show while they worked on him. They worked around me because they feel like it’s better to make it hard on the dentist than to make it hard on the kid. Novel idea, that.
Ok, my extremely clean teeth and I need to get back to work now.
I wish we had a Dr. Jo-Jo here! When Liam needed work done I called all the pediatric dentists in the area (there are 3 of them). They all have a standing policy, no exceptions that parents are NOT allowed in the exam room with the child at any time.
Ummmm… not my child thank you very much!
We ended up going through the kids hospital and had wonderful staff there!
I had a dentist like yours when I was a child, so I was cringing in support/sympathy. Thank goodness they told my parents that my teeth were “too bad for braces” – I can’t even imagine what kind of fun *that* would have been.
It’s taken me a while, but I finally found a dentist that was good. Even the person who replaced him when he retired is a winner. I send School Girl to her too; she’s great with kids, as is the rest of the staff.
Do tell… who is your dentist? I am in dire need of a cleaning ad could use a recommendation. And we love Dr JoJo too
Wow, those dentist memories are definitely traumatic! I was lucky to have a dear aunt (mom’s sister) as my dentist and now I have two cousins (I actually had another uncle dentist growing up, but he was my dad’s sister husband and we’re not that close to that side of the family – his daughter is a dentist too, but I go to my cousin, who just happens to be my favorite boy cousin).
I’d never ever heard of pulpectomy!
Good thing you’re busy, I wish I could work, but maybe soon.
Erin, I go to The Gentle Dentist on Wilson Bridge Road.
(614) 431-3311
http://www.insiderpages.com/b/3733505094
They’re even almost too nice!
oh, this post hurts. i am so in need of a dentist. i have several cavities right now. i have a crown that is a mess. i have veneer that needs to be repaired and i need my teeth whitened (which is about the only thing I really want done).
since i moved, finding one is a near impossible feat but i really must get to it before it is an emergency situation.
is it odd that my almost 11 yo son has only lost four teeth?
Suz, did he teethe late? I hear that kids who get their teeth late lose ‘em late, too.
Now get yourself to a kinder, gentler dentist! You deserve a healthy mouth for goodness sakes! (I’m being a hypocrite — if Brett didn’t literally MAKE me go, I’d still be under the bed.)
Oh, you’re so much better than me. I have really thin enamel and a love hate relationship with brushing, and braces just made it worse (though my teeth are straighter and my horrid over bite has been reduced some). I know I’ve had a dentist drill on me when I wasn’t numb (though he wasn’t threatening like your guy was). It’s been at least 4 years since I’ve been and my mouth is a mess, but I’m so psyched out about the pain and the drill and the lectures and the shaming that I’d need one who would only swear to not lecture, but would promise to knock me out. Because my mouth is that bad and probably needs hours if not days of work.
This post makes me cry. I hate going to the dentist too but I must have blocked whatever trauma put me in this state. Reading about your torture experience is haunting. I have only recently found a kind, gentle dentist. The office is two blocks from home, Thank God. They are not really great on follow up or organization, sending in insurance forms, etc. however.
I had that experience at the dentist too. Except, behind the glass, my mom was standing, holding my sister. And I was struggling and crying, and the dentist kept saying things like “You’re upsetting your sister.” Still pisses me off to this day that my mom never intervened.
[...] has lousy teeth and had his first major dental intervention at just a little over two years old. Madison has happily inherited fabulous teeth from Pennie but we come by our paranoia honestly so [...]