A "Happy Visit"

On Monday I took Sean to the dentist for the first time. We thought he might be having an issue with a tooth, so we decided that it was probably time anyway since he has all of his teeth now (20 by the dentist's count, in case you were wondering). To prepare Sean we read a book called "Calliou goes to the Dentist" - one of his favorite cartoon characters on PBS. So when we got there he wasn't scared at all. This particular doctor is especially good with children so they were ready and they called this visit a "Happy Visit". They showed Sean the chair and how it goes up and down and lays back. Sean wouldn't wear the paper bib, but that was OK. He did want gloves so he had those large latex gloves on for a while. Brenda the hygenist showed him all her tools, the water pick and air blower (Don't know the technical terms for these), and Mr. Sucker. She let Sean test all of them and push the buttons on everything. He really loved squirting the water and anytime that Brenda would move away from her tools, Sean was leaning over to grab that one and squirt the water.

At first he wouldn't open his mouth, but eventually he chose to sit up and when he was ready, he would open his mouth and he got his teeth counted and then she showed him how she would clean his teeth and let him try the button to make the toothbrush spin (he loved that one too). He chose bubblegum flavor and he let her clean his teeth (when he was ready to open) and then she was able to squirt water in his mouth and use Mr. Sucker to suck it out. He wouldn't close his mouth around Mr. Sucker, so I told him to make a fish face (lips puckered) and that did the trick.

We then met the Dentist who also counted Sean's teeth and looked at the tooth we thought was having a problem and it is not - Yeah! Then Sean got to pick a sticker and a toy - can you guess what he picked? A small plastic digger and a truck rub on tattoo! We were told by Brenda and the dentist that he did extremely well and they couldn't believe he had never been to the dentist. Yeah Sean! And because it was his first time, I had to take pictures.


He only laid back for a few moments to feel the toothbrush and then he wouldn't lay down after that.


Getting his teeth cleaned - he brought Elmo for moral support.






Trying out "Mr. Sucker"