February is National Dental Health Month

Took B&L to get their teeth cleaned last week. The office has touch-screen video games in the waiting room so even Luke can play. And as you get your teeth cleaned, you can watch cartoons, or in Luke's case, Sesame Street. And then when you're done, you pick out a prize and get a "goody bag," too, with
a new toothbrush and bubble gum flavored toothpaste. Going to the dentist is not to be feared anymore, and it's a good thing because Luke had a cavity! We are making changes at home -- no more poptarts; no more sugary cereals; fewer treats, and we even threw away Tootsie pops, which can get stuck in the teeth, and Pez, which is simply hardened sugar. The Easter Bunny will
not be bringing jelly beans this year. The dentist told me that Luke's molars are very conducive to cavities, and that we should
try to avoid carbohydrates like Goldfish crackers, graham crackers, etc. I told the dentist that doing so was not realistic -- Luke gets these
kinds of snacks at school, too -- but we are trying to be more mindful of what we give him. I'm on a hunt for soft, dried apple rings.
This morning I took Luke to get his cavity filled, and I was so apprehensive. I was told that Luke would probably require laughing
gas, but he was such a terrific patient, he made it through the procedure without it. He cried, of course, when he got the novocain shot, but again, Sesame Street provided a wonderful diversion, and he recovered from the injection. He cried a second
time with about 3 minutes left of the procedure, so all in all, he was a star patient, and for doing so well he was rewarded with
a clear bouncy ball that has metallic stars inside it. He has another molar that is being watched carefully as another cavity
is developing, so we need to discuss whether we want to put a sealant on the tooth -- a procedure that would not involve
numbing, and if so, what the ideal timing would be. Subjecting him to back-to-back dental procedures may do more harm than good in terms of instilling in him a lifelong fear of dentists -- something his mother and father both have!

ugh.