Monday, May 9, 2011

A trip to the Dentist can be lots of fun ...

I feel like the puppet master today.

Miss Ellen is scheduled for her first trip to the dentist on Friday. I feel like we might be late for this, which makes me nervous. If you know anything about me, it is that I am a rule-follower. I haven't had anyone firmly state that we need to get to the dentist (I think the AAP says 1 year, several friends have said 2 years or 3 years), but I still feel like I am going to get a slap on the wrist by the dental police.

(As an aside, I have a new theory on personality: I think you can tell a lot about a person by the type of toothpaste they choose in the dental office. Me? Always mint, every time, since early childhood. Pretty much tells the story, right?)

So. I don't know if I've really documented our battles related to The Brushing Of The Teeth, but it is generally the most unpleasant task of our day. I have tried every trick I can think of, with only short-lived success. Ells does generally respond well to authority figures, so I am hoping our friendly Dentist will give me a little boost in this department.

I took the same approach to our first dentist visit as I did for her first haircut - videos! There are quite a few Sesame Street dentist videos on YouTube. (And, seriously, look at this one on The Girl and her Llama at the dentist! My memory is crap and I TOTALLY remember this - what IS this all about?)

So, anyway, we made a trip to the library this morning for books about the dentist, but came away with a DVD ("A trip to the dentist can be lots of fun!"). Ells asked to watch it before nap and she was thoroughly enthralled by the puppet, Bucky the Beaver, and his visit to Dr. Rob.

I caught her singing the song before nap (... a trip to the dentist can be lots of fun ...).

She asked to brush her teeth before nap.

She woke up and said, "Mom. I HAVE to go the dentist!"

See? Like I said ... puppet master.

(And, at the risk of sounding like I know what I'm doing, I'll be sure to report back on our actual experience in the special chair!)

4 comments:

Bets said...

What does it say about me that the mint toothpaste is always too "spicy" for me???
I guess you can't reward her with a sucker if she's a good girl, huh? Bummer.

34th Stater said...

Never ask the barber if you need a haircut.

Never ask the roofer if there was hail damage.

Never ask the plumber to check your hot water heater.

And ... Never ask a dentist when you should schedule a first visit.

Haven't you read the ADA recommendations that the dentist should be pre-scheduled immediately after the umbilical cord is cut?

Where do you think the phrase "Open Wide and Say Aaahh" came from?

Marie Hooker said...

Well done! Planning to take P this summer and he'll be 3!!! Will totally be using these tips as it gets closer...

Tabatha Aikins said...

Yep, shows like Sesame Street are a great help for children. Also, it can be a lot easier for children to be brought to the dentist these days. By educating kids about basic dental care, instead of scaring them about stuff like toothaches, kids learn proper dental habits very easily.