Camdyn and Cade had their first dental check up two weeks ago. I have been dreading their first dentist appointment since they were babies. With Cade's severe oral aversion as a baby, I figured going to the dentist was going to be a nightmare. Although he eats great now, I worried he may have some lingering oral aversion issues when suction tools got anywhere near his mouth. He didn't have such a great relationship with those things in the NICU. I also worried about the development of Camdyn's teeth because she got teeth so late. I had no idea if that was a sign of anything bad. As a preemie parent (especially micro-preemies who were on high dose steroids/antibiotics), you hear a lot about "preemie teeth". Due to the steroids, antibiotics, and breathing tubes, some preemies' teeth are discolored, weaker, and/or more susceptible to cavities. With all these worries in mind, I scheduled their first visit. I braced myself much like I did with all their developmental exams, to hear news that I already knew but didn't want to hear. Surprisingly, the appointment went far better than I expected.
Neither Camdyn or Cade had any qualms about the suction or water tool. They kind of liked it. They were curious about how everything worked and excited for their turn. The dentist office calls this a "happy visit" which means they introduce kids to the equipment but don't really clean their teeth or take x-rays. Camdyn and Cade both let them polish their teeth though and do an exam. The dentist saw no issues with their teeth. When I asked him about "preemie teeth", he did say that their baby teeth might not be affected, but their permanent teeth could still be affected. We won't know until they come in. But for now, they look good. I was very happy that the appointment went so much better than I had anticipated.
4 comments:
I'm so glad it went well! I still haven't taken my trio to the dentist yet. It's on the schedule for 2013. Your kids are so adorable and getting so big.
You have a lovely family Michelle! It's cute that the kids enjoyed their first visit to the dentist. Their "happy visit" seems fun because they were curious about a lot of things in the dental clinic. Who knows? Maybe someday one of your kids might be a dentist when they grow up!
Eugenie Velasquez
One of the best ways to calm children on their first visit to the dentist is by introducing them to the instruments and informing them about the importance of taking care of their teeth. They won’t fear whatever they know! What matters is that everything ended well – a happy visit indeed!
You will see in the third photo how fascinated Camdyn and Cade were on learning some dental stuff. You didn’t expect it, do you? Many children tend to be afraid with their dentist, so it’s nice to see kids like them being confident and interested on dental checkups. :)
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