Some firsts you look forward to but the first dentist trip…well maybe not so much. We’d planned to take them on a day when both Stu and I could go but work schedules meant this wasn’t possible so I was left to fly solo.
Step one:
Entertain them while we wait – and boy did they make us wait. Forty minutes in a small room with absolutely nothing to do was hard work. Surprisingly they were great at this point even when I was asked to fill out about six forms whilst also ensuring my two didn’t escape through the fire exit.
Step two:
Convince them to let some stranger poke around inside their mouth. Again not too bad. I’d prepped them that morning. We’d spoken about dentists and opening our mouth. We’d practised our arrrghing. So far so good.
Step three:
Stop them touching anything – big fat fail! By now they were bored and in a room with lots of interesting tools, taps and hoses, none of which they were allowed to touch. I’m imagining that’s pretty tough for anyone let alone toddlers. That brings me to the hardest step.
Step four:
Control two littlies using only your feet while blindfolded and gagged (well practically as I was staring at the ceiling with fingers in my mouth). Partial success. Emily stayed put for my entire consultation but Jess not so much. I think the dental technician was getting a bit annoyed but I’m not sure what I could actually do in that position.
Overall we got through it with minimal drama, the girls got their sticker and I got told I needed a filing. The lovely dentist was trying to talk me though the payment options and whether I wanted the NHS silver or private white filling. To be honest, at that point I didn’t give a monkeys. I signed something and we left.
Is it crazy that the though of having a filling is quite appealing, that I’ll go back on my own in nap time next week and can just lie there. Who’d have thought that’s what it’d take for me to get an hour off mummy duty. However, I’ll probably just lie there and worry that my poor Emily has now got ‘deformed teeth’ from thumb sucking.
PIN FOR LATER
This sounds similar to our first dentist visit (back in August), although we didn’t have to wait so long and there were some toys and books for them! You’ve just reminded me that I need to go back for x-rays – which I couldn’t have done at the time because it meant going in to another room without the girls!