Yesterday I took both kids to the dentist.
Fully expecting howls from her and stubbornness from him, I wore shoes with good non-slip soles in case I had to do any chasing and prepared to do battle.
We arrived, they played with the toys there, and then the hygienist took Cass (Alone! He was so brave!) back so he could impress Dr. Kelly with his loose tooth. He went through the whole appointment by himself - even x-rays!
Rather blase about the whole thing, he was most impressed with the toy car he picked out of their treasure basket. So much for my mental pictures of trying to juggle Rosey while holding his grubby paw during his appointment. Things were looking up.
Rosey eyed the doctor with suspicion. Cass may have come out smiling, but what was this woman going to do? And why was she wearing gloves? Open her mouth? She thought NOT.
I wish I'd had my camera. Small stubborn girl lost in big chair looking on while four people (Dr. Kelly, the hygienist, Cass and I) said 'Say Ahhhhh! Rosey! Ahhh!' and demonstrated how to open wide. Obviously we were deranged. She settled in to wait until we regained our minds.
Kelly managed to get a finger in to check R's front teeth. When the taste of the gloves hit, she gaped open in an unsaid yuck! - and the dentist swooped in. A quick feel around, and she was satisfied. Rosey said a stiff 'bye' and climbed down. She was done. Where the hell was Daddy when a smallgirl wanted him?
The report on the kids teeth is excellent - Cass has lovely healthy teeth, and a few of them (not just the one!) are beginning to loosen. The dentist thinks the space between his front teeth will fill in as he gets his adult teeth. Rosey has all her molars in. I happily told Kelly that both liked brushing and got the obligatory toothbrushes, and then, just as I was leaving, she dropped the bomb.
"So do they floss?"
Shit. Well, might as well face it. "No, they don't."
"Do they watch you?"
"Floss? Um, no. I don't floss. Brush, yes. Swill mouthwash? Yes. Floss? No." I thought about adding that the last time I flossed, I ended up in the dentist's office having dental floss removed from my teeth, but surely that was in my records? But she was going on.
"It's important that they floss. Especially their back teeth, where kids tend to get cavities."
I mumbled something and fled.
Now, how the HELL do you floss a two year olds teeth??
I predict mayhem.
14 comments:
i must must get round to taking the FB to the dentist, thank you for reminding me
Oh yeah, dentist... I'll get right on that one. :) Just be thankful they like to brush!!
Kat
A: With a bribe calculated on a per-stroke basis.
-Mr. Capitalist.
get those little flosser sticks-mine loved them
I have no idea how to floss my children's teeth. I hope they are figuring it out.
I just called my dentist, btw. Thanks for the reminder! Cmommy
I vote making a game of it? What game you ask? Well I have no idea. I had a floss wand (little tool that you wind the floss around so it's more manageable) as a kid - maybe that would help?
When you figure out how to get a two year old to floss, you let me know. I can barely get the 12 year old to brush, much less floss!
Tie them up with strong rope and wear earplugs....OR, get in the habit yourself,radical thought, and make sure they see how much fun you're having...just don't end up back at the dentist's having floss surgically removed! That might put them off for life...
*grumbling* Man! Can't we just start them on flossing when they grow their adult teeth?
The dentist used to make me feel so guilty...everything is so hard with little kids. I didn't floss their teeth until the permanent ones came in, and it all turned out okay.
I got some of my own dental tools, so I could clean their teeth on my own in between visits, too.
Never heard of flossing a 2 year old's teeth?
I would wait for the permanant teeth, but an introduction might not hurt now- they love learning new delaying tactics to drive Mum mad!!
I second the rec for those little flosser sticks. They even have some with a princess theme, some in animal shapes, etc. My girl child loves them.
None of us flossed until adulthood -- and we only floss now because we all have dental implants (genetic trait -- missing teeth).
My mother has capped teeth (we got the genetic trait from her family) and she ALWAYS flossed. Vigorously. We hated it, but the water pick was actually fun. Buy the water pick. It's a good alternative to flossing, and it tickles instead of making the gums bleed.
Maybe I'll get one, too... it was so much easier than flossing.
I never floss either, (bad bad me) but I've never had a cavity. But my kids have, because they don't always brush well. But I think I will start flossing once I get the braces off (yeah braces at my age) and use those floss sticks. I' get my kids to use those when I remember.
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