First Dentist Appointment

It took us two years to take care of this, but the kids finally had their first dental appointment today. I know we're late in the game. We finally decided to bite the bullet and sign up for a good dental plan for the entire family.

Marshall, I could tell, was nervous. He stayed positive all morning, but at lunch the apprehension was building. Shaylen on the other hand was, well...Shaylen: perky and eager. I promised that there would be no shots today and even told Marshall that I would ask the receptionist if there would be shots just to make sure.

Once we were signed in and had to wait, Marshall's face got red and his ears were hot. He was fighting back those tears and was really and truly trying to be a trooper. I was so proud of him. However, when the dental hygienist called him back, the tears started flowing. He didn't make a fuss, but his eyes were streaming. Poor buddy. Taigen was right with him so everything was fine.

Shaylen got called back minutes later and only then did she say that she was a bit nervous. The hygienist was really good though about showing us around (even allowing us to peek in on Marshall's progress without him knowing) and then showing Shaylen where she would be. She plopped right into the dental chair and was excellent throughout.

I was able to walk over to where Marshall was at one point and check on him. He had been given the option of sitting on Daddy's lap while he had his teeth cleaned and he took it. He was holding a bear and was being shown how to brush his teeth. He was being so good!

Shaylen's teeth looked excellent. No cavities! They told her that she was doing a great job of taking care of her teeth and must be eating lots of fruits and veggies, and drinking lots of water and milk. They loaded her up with a toothbrush, bubble gum flavored toothpaste, a flosser and a toy! Then we were allowed to go over and watch Marshall finishing up. His normal color had come back and he actually smiled a few times. I think he finally figured out that the dentist's wasn't a horrible place. He got loaded up with all the goodies as well. Everything looked great for Marshall too and he had no cavities too! Here's the exciting news though: the dentist found one tooth that had the traces of being wiggly. *Gasp!* Can you believe that?

We are so thankful for the recommendation (thanks Perdues!) of a kid-friendly dentist. The people at this office bent over backwards to make this visit a good one. Now...if I can just get my big-kid husband in soon, we'll be doing great.