Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Jenna's "sugar bugs"

At the end of September, we found a great pediatric dentist for the kids. We knew Jenna would need some dental work because she was unable to get it done in Kentucky before we left. This dentist was awesome. I really liked him and the staff. After the initial evaluation, Jenna has had 2 appointments with conscious sedation that were successful. She was so funny when the medication was kicking in, and once she was sedated, she was so good for the dentist. With conscious sedation you still have to cooperate and are able to respond to instructions. She did great. I am glad that she wasn't an angry drunk as he said sometimes happens. In fact the first appointment was like the waiting room on Finding Nemo. There was a boy screaming loud! Jenna was like, "Ummm...mommy?!" But she was brave, and the sedation was good for her. The doctor praised her and was terrific with her. He was pleased that he was able to do a good job.
She had an extraction from an abscessed baby tooth. She had some fillings and a permanent retainer placed and her molars sealed.
When we first found out that Jenna was in need of dental work, I felt like a failure- like I had done her a real disservice. But, I got over myself, and we have made major strides in the last year or so with dental hygiene- now we get little resistance from the kids to brush with Hello Kitty and Spiderman at least twice a day. They know the importance of brushing away those sugar bugs and using a fluoride mouthwash (Smart Rinse is fun. They like to see the gross stuff they didn't get when they brushed. Yuck!) Now we need to tackle flossing on a regular basis. Ugg!


This is a picture after her first appointment. She enjoyed being queen of the family room and ruler over the TV that day, as well as missing school. But she wouldn't just close her eyes and sleep!

This is a picture with her "strawberry nose" and sunglasses during her procedure.

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Dad comes to Utah!

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