Last week Jackie had a dentist appointment to"check the eruption" of her adult teeth. The word "eruption" in that way always sounds funny - like my child's mouth is a volcano or something. But looking at her x-ray I thought it kind of looked like a natural disaster. So much many teeth coming in at crazy angles. I new the news would not be good and I was right: she needed 4 teeth extracted and a spacer put in on her bottom teeth - and it needed to happen as soon as possible. That's exactly what every 7 year old with a genetic fear of blood and dentists wants to hear. I knew it was going to be really bad when Jackie screamed when the Dentist was putting in the plastic plates that are just meant to make room for the spacer caps.
Needless to say, Jackie was extremely worried about the appointment - and how could she not be? She's had teeth extracted before and knows it is really not fun. She couldn't sleep so we decided on a plan of action : I would change her appointment date and not tell her when it was until it was time to go to the dentist. It worked well because she stopped thinking about it and was able to have a pretty normal week - but boy did I feel awful picking her up early from school this afternoon. She was so happy to see me,
" Why did you need to pick me up?". All I said was, " You don't really want to know". Then she figured it out right away. She also figured out that I had not changed her appointment, but realized that since she thought I was changing it, it worked to not change it - but I still felt duplicitous.
On Alice's advice, Eve and I picked her up a little early so we could have some time before we went to the dentist. We had a snack for her and asked her what she would like to do. She decided to go to the mall beside the school to buy Alice's Christmas present and while we were there I got her a new hairband and she got to see Santa (from a distance). It was a nice time and she managed to not cry in the car on the way to the Dentist, and even held it together as we were walking up the stairs. The kind dental assistant was her undoing, and the tears started coming - but she was fighting. All attempts at composure went out the window when the Dentist started putting the freezing in - we are talking full on screams. My baby was being tortured. I am not an over protective mom, but I did go up a couple of times to see if there was anything I could do. Eve however, was unfazed - she just looked at me a couple of times and said, " Jackie's crying loud isn't she?
The worst part was the freezing and she was pretty brave for the rest of it, - Eve and I only heard the occasional whimper. An hour and 15 minutes later, when she walked back into the waiting room she looked like she'd been through hell. Alice always looks bloodied from battle but triumphant or at least relieved that it's over - Jackie just looked beaten and sick. She got to pick 2 toys and Eve got to pick one, but really a small plastic camera and a ring are poor payment. The $900 it cost didn't make me feel that great either.
It was a rough day for her - but not the worst - her worst day is still the day she forgot her lunch and thought someone had called me to bring her one but no one had, Alice wasn't on the bus and no one told her where she was, and no one was home when she got home, because Alice was supposed to unlock the door and let the girls in while they waited 15 minutes for Andrew to get home ( I was facilitating a work shop) so she had to sit tired, hungry scared and alone in the garage....that is still her worst day. This one was her 2nd worst.
But on a bad day we must be grateful for small blessings. When the admin assistant at the school found out that she had to get her teeth pulled, she gave Jackie a necklace that has a little tooth shaped container on it that they give to the students who lose teeth at the school. When her front teeth were loose, Jackie was hoping they would fall out at school so she could get one of them, so that was such a nice thing. Also, this is the day when Jackie has her class's stuffed bat Pip to take care of, so that helped brighten her mood tonight.
Here is the thing - how can you not hate the dentist? People who say they like going to the dentist are crazy -- have they never had teeth pulled? Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for dentists - but I am very relieved that none of us have to go back till the summer time.
3 comments:
Oh my goodness! POOR GIRL! That seems like the worst. I have had some CRAZY mouth surgeries and since my biggest fear is being put to sleep or having any sedation, I'm always FULLY AWAKE. Not even nitrous oxide. Just me, chillin, through 3 surgeries and 2 more wisdom teeth surgeries where all 4 teeth were deep down and had to be cracked into 4 pieces.
But I'm blessed to have no fear or dislike toward the dentist. Well, almost. I had my very first filling EVER this summer and that wasn't very fun.
But still, dentists don't bother me like they seem to bother the Hudsons. I, however, hate every single aspect of doctor's appointments and hospitals. So... to each his own.
GET BETTER JACKIE! I always tell myself, after this, I'm done! I'm almost done! And then I feel better!!
There is nothing to be grateful for when it comes to dentists. They are the worst people in the world. Jackie, I would have been screaming and yelling and crying, too. And I don't mean that in the "when I was your age" way either. No. I mean if someone had tricked me into a dentist appointment NOW, at 28, I'd be crying and yelling and screaming and also kicking and running away.
It never gets better. I'll say it. I'm sorry, but it never, never gets better. The dentist will always be a man/woman made of pure evil and greed, causing pain in one of the body's most tender orifices all for filthy lucre.
Amen.
Nicole - I guess it is a given that when you and Greg have kids, you are the one that will have to take them to the Dentist....It took until around noon the next day for Jackie to feel like the world was a nice place again...
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