AJU6 turned 11 months old yesterday. That is right - in 30 days he will be one year old. In 29 days, he will get his first taste of cake (on Thanksgiving when family is already gathered together). And today, he got to go to the dentist for the first time - even before his big sister ever saw one!
Behind his two front teeth, it was black. Since his teeth are fairly thin, you could see the black through the teeth some times. A few weeks ago, I took him to his doctor because we were a little worried. Those same two teeth are shorter than the others, so we thought there might be a real problem. The pediatrician had no idea what it was. So, she recommended we take him to a pediatric dentist. And today was the day of the appointment.
And guess what - the blackness was almost 100% gone this morning. Maybe it was the waffles he has been engulfing the past week (he can eat a whole flax waffle plus some fruit at breakfast each day). Maybe it was the brushing I did (fairly vigorously) before we left. But it was gone. Luckily, the dentist had seen it before. It is some sort of staining, and probably caused by a bacteria. There is no known cause, although environment and genetics may play a part since siblings tend to have it. It can be scraped off, but it isn't dangerous at all. And his front two baby teeth are just short - nothing to worry about there.
The dentist office is pretty fun. They have a play area that AJU5 loves. They have a dog (the older partner's) that just roams the office freely. The cleaning stations are open, and the procedure areas are in glassed rooms so they don't look like closets or jails. So, I scheduled AJU5 for her first appointment. Hopefully seeing AJU6 "go through the motions" today will help. She wasn't too sure about having to stop playing so the dentist could see us. But, I did let her play after, so I think that helped. And she saw the dog (which really does just roam free) and got a toy, so she was content when we left.
How old were your kids when they first went to the dentist? Do you use a pediatric dentist or just a family practice?
We were going to just do the family practice, but 11 months old I think is too young to go to one of those. So, we are now on the pediatric route...
3 comments:
I am so glad the appointment went well and the outcome is good.
We had a family dentist that we loved, who said he was "too old" to deal with our near 2-year old when she had a genetic dental problem. His recommendation of a pediatric dentist was a true blessing. There really is a big difference in the friendliness and understanding of folks who deal with children on a regular basis. (Plus, we learned that the problem really could wait to be fixed when she was older).
Our ped dentist recommends kids start visiting his office at age 2 (unless there is a dental concern before, of course), for twice annual cleanings. Those first couple visits are really just adjustment visits to learn about the equipment and the process....and to get a new toothbrush and toy. He does examine the kids' teeth, with the child sitting on my lap. He is so fast and yet thorough, that I am amazed. X-rays come later, when the kids are older and more cooperative.
3 of my kids have required dental evaluations at or before age 2, due to complications. The other 2 have been blessed with the dental health to visit on the recommended schedule instead.
I've been thinking about when to take Kyle..2 sounds good. I think he would love a dentist office with a dog! Could you e-mail me back the name of the one you went to? Glad the teeth issue isn't serious!
We took Nathan the first time right after he turned two. The dentist he sees is a pediatric dentist and he's really great. I'm glad we went when we did, because it really moved us to get rid of Nathan's pacifier. His teeth were looking a little jacked up.
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