Flip of a Switch

Yesterday I took Emma for her first dentist appointment. And yes, I realize I probably should have done this sooner, but it just didn't happen until now. I was very impressed with her dentist and the office as a whole. He was great and the dental assistants were so nice.

First, they took Emma and I into a private room to watch a cartoon about a dentist trip. They get to draw on a chalk board and it allows them to become comfortable in a new environment.

She had a fantastic time...until they took us back to where the chairs are that she is supposed to sit in for her teeth cleaning. She was terrified. It was the longest five minutes ever. There was screaming and pulling. Thankfully there was no biting! I asked the dental assistant if she ever gets bitten and she said she gets bitten multiple times a day...that is one job hazard that I would not like!

Once she was finished cleaning, flossing, and fluoriding, Emma sat up and was perfectly fine again. It was as if a switch was flipped. She got down and started playing. The dentist came in and looked around at her teeth and then played ball with her. She got an excellent report - her teeth look great!

In anticipation of this dentist trip, I started flossing Emma's teeth. Thank you to Rhonda for letting me know that this is something that I should have been doing! Emma actually loves it and requests to do it. I wish I was that enthusiastic about flossing.