Tooth Troubles
The orphanages in Russia are not known for their fabulous dental care. We have been diligently brushing and flossing our kids teeth since adopting them, but even still the damage done during their years was too great to overcome. When my sister-in-law, Angie (who's a dental hygienist) cleaned their teeth a while back, we discovered that Eamon had 3 cavities and Vika had 6 (!!!). The poor kid's mouth was rotting away! OK, it wasn't all that bad, but still we wanted to get both of them in as soon as possible to get those cavities filled.
When we brought them in to the dental office where Angie works, I came to realize how ghetto my current dentist office is. This place has 2 massage chairs in the lobby, Mac computers with games for the kids to play, comfy couches, racks of magazines and a soothing fountain to help put you at ease. They also have TVs in the ceiling on which you can watch your favorite programs while the dentist drills away. My dentist's office has one old, stained floral couch, similar to something you may have seen on "Golden Girls," a chipped coffee table, a few copies of Field and Stream to browse through as you wait for your appointment, and a tattered poster of a waterfall taped to the ceiling. I like my dentist, but his office could use some spiffing up.
Anyway, the dentist we took the kids to did an excellent job. Both kids went back with the hygienist without any fear, and handled the procedure just great. We did not fully explain what would happen when their cavities were filled because we didn't want to scare them. This was definitely the right choice. Eamon did not need novocaine, but Vika did, and she didn't even know she got a shot in her mouth! The dentist was THAT gentle. He turned on Nick Jr., and both kids were so entranced that they hardly paid him and the hygienist any mind.
Another unexpected benefit was that since Angie was my soon-to-be sister-in-law (at the time), the dentist considered us family and is only charging us for the filling of three of Vika's cavities and one of Eamon's. They didn't charge us anything for the cleaning! I was so pleasantly surprised by this that I wanted to pay them for the appointment just to say "Thank you!" Vika still has a few cavities to be filled (we've split up the appointments over a few months), but I'm sure she'll continue to do great. As long as she can watch "Lazy Town," she'll be happy.
Eamon in the dentist chair before his appointment
When we brought them in to the dental office where Angie works, I came to realize how ghetto my current dentist office is. This place has 2 massage chairs in the lobby, Mac computers with games for the kids to play, comfy couches, racks of magazines and a soothing fountain to help put you at ease. They also have TVs in the ceiling on which you can watch your favorite programs while the dentist drills away. My dentist's office has one old, stained floral couch, similar to something you may have seen on "Golden Girls," a chipped coffee table, a few copies of Field and Stream to browse through as you wait for your appointment, and a tattered poster of a waterfall taped to the ceiling. I like my dentist, but his office could use some spiffing up.
Anyway, the dentist we took the kids to did an excellent job. Both kids went back with the hygienist without any fear, and handled the procedure just great. We did not fully explain what would happen when their cavities were filled because we didn't want to scare them. This was definitely the right choice. Eamon did not need novocaine, but Vika did, and she didn't even know she got a shot in her mouth! The dentist was THAT gentle. He turned on Nick Jr., and both kids were so entranced that they hardly paid him and the hygienist any mind.
Another unexpected benefit was that since Angie was my soon-to-be sister-in-law (at the time), the dentist considered us family and is only charging us for the filling of three of Vika's cavities and one of Eamon's. They didn't charge us anything for the cleaning! I was so pleasantly surprised by this that I wanted to pay them for the appointment just to say "Thank you!" Vika still has a few cavities to be filled (we've split up the appointments over a few months), but I'm sure she'll continue to do great. As long as she can watch "Lazy Town," she'll be happy.
Eamon in the dentist chair before his appointment
Eamon looks more relaxed in that chair than I ever have in my whole life.
We just got a new dentist and I'm amazed at what he has in his office. Fireplace and TV in the waiting room, free bottled water or juices, TVs when you are in the ... get this ... massage dental chair. I had to have a filling replaced and never wanted to leave :)
Glad they both Vika and Eamon were relaxed, that should make their future appointments even easier.
Okay, time to find a new dentist. I go to the same one Jenni does and between the old photos and the incessant classical music, it's time to move on. Not to mention that the hygienist is turning into Attila the Hun!
I'm so glad it went well! My kids haven't had any cavities yet, and I'm so glad! My kids can be rather dramatic, and I'm afraid they'd never go back after getting a needle in the mouth! This is just because simply hearing the word "shot" sends them both into a fit! *sigh*
Now that place sounds nice!!! Princess, Sweetpea, Lad and Boy had a neat dental office too, they sure thought it was fun. Don't feel bad, I used to nanny for a couple who allowed their 2 yr old to drink a lot of juice (as opposed to only once a day with a meal) and when he went for his first check up at 3, he had 14 cavities!!!!
Arlene - that is the exact reason why we didn't tell the kids that shots were involved. They would have freaked out! As it is, now they are excited to go back and watch TV in the reclining chair. :)
Kate - These cavities have been around for quite a while, and started before Vika and Eamon were brought into our care. I guess all the rolls and startchy foods the kids were served in the orphanage were quite damaging.
We haven't gotten a dentist in our new town yet. I'm dreading our first trip. I hope they have cartoons in the ceiling whereever we go and I hope Jayke will be as relaxed as Eamon was!
I thought Eamon was asleep - it's good to see he was so relaxed! Rachel tried to fit her entire hand into her mouth and wouldn't let the hygenist even look at her teeth! Maybe Eamon and Vika can have a little talk with her to ease her mind next time!
kid's dentists are the best. I wish mine had a tv on the ceiling. All I get to look at is a blinding light and a masked hygenist.
Man, I want to go to that dentist!! I have not been to the dentist since we moved to Oklahoma because I hate trying to find a new one. I hope we can find one that good for our boys.
Man, I want to go to that dentist!! I have not been to the dentist since we moved to Oklahoma because I hate trying to find a new one. I hope we can find one that good for our boys.
the dentist... we host children from Belarus every summer. these children have such terrible teeth... and I think that there is something in the name!
one of the little girls in our group, whose name is also Vika, was 8 when she first came to visit. There was not a tooth in her mouth that was not touched... many fillings, a couple of crowns, and a couple of removals. The poor girl was in the dentist office FIVE times in her 6 weeks visit!
The children will be back in two weeks... stop over and see what an adventure our summer will be!