the Dentist

When I went in for my routine check-ups at the dentist I would have my son try to sit and watch what the dentist would do to my mouth. He would get curious and disrupt the dentist by turning on and off his light. We had to give him a small toy plane with spinning propellers so he would sit still. It helped that his Grandpa had his visit on the same day and could learn to trust the dentist. My son has quite a special bond with my father.

The day came and we had his check-up. He did good sitting but was having trouble with the light blinding him. After the visit, he felt happy because he got to pick out a small toy. He picked out a rubber frog. Over last summer he developed a likeness for toads and frogs. The visit resulted in him having 3 cavities! I didn't know what to expect having the dentist drill my sons teeth.

Luckily I had to work the day he got his teeth fixed. I was afraid the dentist wouldn't be able to perform his fillings. My wife had to take him and make sure he was okay and make it through alright. I wasn't prepared to witness what would be if he had a panic attack.

My son did very well for his first cavities. From what my wife told me he sat and did what the dentist told him to do. He had his mouth open wide the whole time but he had tears streaming down his face. He was terrified! My son's autism includes sensitive hearing and a sensitive mouth. He has to be prepared to cup his ears when a toilet or public hand dryer go off. I could only imagine what he felt with that dentist drill going off inside his head. That had to be extremely loud for him.

I'm glad that having his cavities fixed didn't scare him from dentist visits. My last dental cleaning was last week and he wanted to come with. I didn't take him but I'm glad that he wasn't afraid to go with me. What a brave little boy.