Rhyan's 1st trip to the Dentist!

...Rhyan turned 3 in late April. Some literature recommends taking your children for their first dental appointment at 12 months old. As a dental hygienist I'll just share my two cents worth... 

unless you have concerns about the eruption of your childrens teeth (which, btw, you can do NOTHING about, but if you feel like you cant get a good nights sleep until you get an official "ok" from the dentist), if they've taken a hit to the teeth or you have some other concern or injury, WAIT.

You want their first dental experience to be positive. Meaning, they need to be able to be a good listener and obey. They need to be able to  sit still. And not be too afraid :-)

Three years old (or somewhere around there, plus or minus a few months) is perfect for most kids.

I happened to have an opening one day in my schedule, so i asked Jeff if he was up for bringing Rhyan for a cleaning. His only question: "who will keep Mack"?. Um, his DADDY! Mack can be bad sometimes, but for the most part he's pretty well behaved when we're in new environments.

She didnt act afraid at all! Jeff was worried about me being the one to clean her teeth... thinking maybe my co-worker, Esther, would be better. But i insisted. I mean, she's not only my kid but really, i'm GREAT with kids! I mean, not long term, but i'm great at making scared kids comfortable. The key? Be HONEST! Show them everything before you do it. Gain their trust by respecting their space and recognizing their concerns.

Yep, kids love me, if i do say so myself ;-) (haha)

I let her touch the polishing cup to feel it when it spins. She liked it!

Using "mr thirsty" as jeff calls it! She did great giving him "kisses" and thought it was funny!

And while i cleaned her teeth, Mack felt it necessary to explore Mommy's work :-) Checking for OSHA compliance, i'm sure! haha

I finished up with Rhyan really quickly and told Jeff i'd go ahead and clean his teeth since i had time (and he was overdue. yuck!... kidding, i've been over a year before). His only question (i bet you can guess...): "who's gonna keep mack"?

YOU, silly! Thats what our TV's are for!

Would you believe that he lay on Jeff's chest exactly like this for 30 minutes, watching tv and sucking his thumb?! He didnt move! So proud of my boy!

Now, my husband, on the other hand... he was a bit squirmy. He did NOT earn a trip to the treasure box.

Which, btw, in my haste to get finished up, I forgot to allow Rhyan to choose a toy from! *sigh*

She was a FANTASTIC patient. Her little teeth are seriously jacked up (severe over jet and overbite and narrowed palate). AKA: BRACES! Girlfriend has GOT to stop sucking those fingers at night! (we may have to do a finger brace... she doesnt even know she's doing it usually because she's asleep). OH well, Most kids are bound to get braces regardless so maybe its not such a big deal ;-)

Days like this, where I get to take care of people i LOVE make my job so great!