Owen’s first trip to the Dentist

I started asking myself and other mommy friends…when are you suppose to start bringing your kids to the dentist?? All the baby books say that once the child has teeth, technically they are suppose to be going to the dentist for check-ups and cleanings!! I just don’t see the purpose of bringing a 1 year old (since they technically have teeth) to the dentist. BUT Owen is two and a half years old…

Thankfully we go to AWESOME dentist, who is also a dear friend to us Dr. Matt Cilderman (You can read ALL about his practice here) who told me that we can start bringing him in whenever we want.

So I started noticing build up on one of Owen’s teeth…even with me brushing his teeth every night I noticed I just wasn’t doing a good job. So I asked my friend Heather (who is Matt’s wife) and is a dental hygienist at a different office in Irvine about teeth cleaning at Owen’s age and everything. Heather and Matt also have a 2 year old son whom they were thinking about trying to clean his teeth as well…so we decided to try and get both boys in the office and do it at the same time. Maybe Owen and Ryland could be moral support for eachother…..yeah THAT didn’t happen.

So I HATE the dentist…like REALLY hate it!! When I was a kid I had to be drugged, given some calming pills to get me to go in the office. I vividly remember having to drink fruit punch with a crushed anxiety pill in it while waiting for my named to be called. I’d cry when my mom said we were going to the dentist!! I brushed my teeth as a kid but seemed to ALWAYS have cavities! So of course I hated him! Matt has made MOST of my fears go away. He is seriously the most informative, calming dentist ever!! And I’m not just saying that b/c he’s my friend…but seriously my visit to his office was WONDERFUL! I would refer him to anyone and everyone!!!!

But Owen had a bit of anxiety when we walked into the office. It was weird b/c the office wasn’t even open…no one was there except us and the Cilderman’s, whom Owen knows and loves. So the little boys negotiated who would go first…haha Both started crying when you tried to get them to sit down in the chair…But finally Ryland, sat on Matt’s lap while Heather cleaned his teeth (no polishing).

Isn’t that cool…Ryland looks like a pro!!!! Nice and relaxed sitting on his Daddy, playing with the air-blower/water thingy. And Owen watched Ryland get his teeth done, while playing the ipad…everything seemed like it was going to work out great!

 

So I envisioned Owen being the same way…I’d have all these cute pictures of Owen sitting on Daddy’s lap while Heather worked away…yeah…THAT didn’t happen…

So we switched it up…maybe Mommy would be able to get him to calm down?

NOPE!! Owen just wasn’t happy!  You can see my face…I was asking Heather “should we maybe try another time?” haha I’m such a wussie mom…I can’t stand to see Owen so upset! But I was strong…for once!!!   I know it looks like he’s still crying, but he actually wasn’t. We opted to stay sitting up in the chair, and Heather was telling Owen a story about a little boy going to the dentist. It seemed to really calm him down! So Heather talked, and cleaned away…he ended up doing a REALLY good job! And he DID have some plaque build up on one tooth…so Mommy has to brush with half the brush on the gums/half on the tooth to prevent that from now on!

Heather did such an amazing job working on these little boys…seriously Thank You!!! Heather was nervous that Owen would hate her after that! But when I asked him he said “NO I LIKE Header, and Matt and Baby Sister” haha

 

 

In Dr. Matt’s office, kids get to pick a toy from the bin after their visit. Owen was pretty happy to be able to get a free toy!!!

 

 

 

 

 

So after a toy…they also got to pick their very own brand new tooth brush!! Owen was so excited to have a Buzz Lightyear toothbrush!!

 

 

 

So another “first” in Owen’s baby book done! Hopefully his next trip to see Dr. Matt and Heather is a little more pleasant…