OUCH - Take Two!

Other than a dimple in a cute little chin,What's more adorable than a toothless grin?

~Azu "Betty" Espezia

A couple of months ago... I noticed that Rachel's sweet little smile was beginning to change. There was the tiniest little gap starting to form between her front two teeth. At first, I decided that it was a new tooth coming in and beginning to push her teeth. But when things were not beginning to loosen up - and then her new "tooth" was coming in between and behind her front teeth, but it appeared that it was coming in SIDEWAYS... I decided that we needed to have it checked out.

We went to see Dr. Corbett in Lexington... and they took and x-ray. It wasn't exactly what I had expected. Instead of it being a new front tooth, it seems Rachel had a "spare". It was a perfectly shaped little tooth - shaped kind of like a raindrop. Rachel was so proud... not only did she have all her baby teeth still, but now she had a spare. What more could a girl ask for?

Dr. Dana said that it really needed to come out - but she wanted me to take Rachel to either an oral surgeon, or a Pediatric Dentist that would put her to sleep. With the tooth being right up front - she wanted her to be "out of it" when they did it - so that she wouldn't be traumatized. I was not very excited. So, I took the kids to Baskin Robbins to break the news to Rachel. (What better way to hear bad news, than over a big scoop of ice cream?)

Rachel was OK - probably better than me. So, I opted for the Pediatric Dentist... and I'm so glad that we did. We went to Dentistry for Children - and Dr. Robinette saw Rachel. She was wonderful. She was so nice, and so good with Rachel. She agreed with Dr. Corbett that the little tooth had to come out - and that since it had already started to resorb some of the root of the other two front teeth, they had to come out as well. (UGH!) I was less than enthusiastic.

We set the date for September 11th at 8:30am. (I became less excited with each passing day.) Wasn't it just back in April that we went endured this with Rachel's belly button? My poor, sweet girl?

The day before they were supposed to pull her teeth, I had to get just a few last photos of her sweet smile. She was not worried a bit - I was already grieving for the loss of her "little girl" appearance. I knew that she was going to look more grown up.

When we arrived at the Dentist's office, they gave Rachel the tiniest amount of Tylenol with Vercet in it to begin to take the edge off. After about 15 minutes, they took us back, and while I read Rachel a book, they gave her some laughing gas. She talked the entire time. I finally had to tell her to listen a little to the story, so that the gas would begin to work. When she was just getting loopy -- they began to get the teeth out. Rachel was such a trooper. She laid there still the entire time. Dr. Robinette just talked to her calmly... and even Mom did well... that is... until the whimpering began. It was tiny and quiet at first... I almost wasn't sure I heard it. But when I finally questioned them, they said, "It's OK Mom... she can't feel anything... she probably just hears it."

Not the words of comfort I was hoping for. I had flashbacks to my wisdom teeth, the sound of flesh tearing in my head, I couldn't feel anything, but OH YUCK... that sound never leaves you.

I began to get fidgety... I am pretty sure that the dentist and her assistant could tell I was stressing for Rachel - because they said... "It's OK Mom" two or three times. But those tiny little whimpers... it was breaking my heart.

After they were done, and I got to hold Rachel for a few minutes and calm her down, they told me that they great thing about the gas... and the Vercet... she wouldn't remember anything. For the most part - they were right. She remembered us going to the dentist that day. She also remembered drinking the Tylenol. She did so well... and they were wonderful with her.

They also told me that she would be a little groggy and probably just lay around all day. That's the part that they didn't get right.

There isn't much that slows this child down. She wakes up happy every day - and she goes full throttle until bedtime. She loves everyone, wants to make everyone happy, sees the bright side in everything and she gives out love unconditionally. It might phase a lot of children to have their teeth pulled and look "different", but like most everything, Rachel is taking it all in stride.

Her current goal right now? Mastering the song, "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth."