A tale of two teeth

My sweet Amelia had two teeth extracted this week. The teeth were perfectly healthy, but her dentist as well as an orthodontist we consulted recommended they come out so as to give her permanent teeth more room in which to grow. They anticipate taking out these two teeth will also prevent her from developing a nasty crossbite, which we do not want to happen, according to a dear friend of mine who has already been through with her daughter the arduous process of trying to correct a crossbite.

The days and hours leading up to this procedure had me and Amelia both quite anxious. I was nervous because, as the parent who'd given the final go-ahead for this to happen, I was worried something would go wrong and I'd be the one to blame for my baby girl's suffering.

Plus, I had no clue what to expect since I'd never had more than a cleaning until I was 18 at which time I learned I had my first cavity. I was so naive about getting a filling that I asked the boy I was dating at the time if he would drive me home from my appointment to which he replied, "Um, no." I said, "Well, I'm getting a filling and need someone to drive me home." after which he laughed and said, "Why? Are you planning on driving home with your lips?" I drove myself home after that appointment and after every cavity filling that followed.

But, I digress. Back to Amelia, who was all kinds of concerned because this was uncharted territory for her since prior to this the most invasive thing she'd undergone at the dentist was having a sealant applied to her teeth. Her best friend had some teeth removed back in the summer and shared that it was quite an easy process that she really didn't need to worry about. "It's like I was floating on a bubble gum cloud," her friend said in recounting her extraction.

Despite her friend's assurances, Amelia was still a nervous Nellie the morning of her appointment. I told her the anticipation was probably the worst part of all since neither of us really knew what to expect. The trip to the dentist took about an hour. With about 30 minutes left before our arrival, Amelia began asking for updates every five minutes or so as to when we'd be at the dentist. The closer we got the more I could hear the concern in her voice.

Once we made it to the dentist's office, Amelia became very quiet and would periodically take a few deep breaths. We were called back to the surgical suite within a couple of minutes and allowed to settle in before our hygienist began going over all the pertinent information with us. Shortly thereafter she began to administer the gas and Amelia began to get a very sleepy/stoned look in her eyes. However, when the dentist asked me to step out to the waiting room, all sleepiness vanished as Amelia became wide-eyed, grabbed my arm with her hand and said "I don't want you to leave."

I calmed her down with assurances she was in very capable hands and there was no way I would leave her if I didn't believe just that. The hygienist also helped her feelings when she told her they'd come get me if she really needed me. The dentist helped my feelings when he said he'd treat her as he'd want one of his own children treated.

I'd barely flipped through a couple of magazines when they told me Amelia was ready to go home. My sweet doll came through like a trouper. When I got to her, she was sporting two rolls of gauze sticking out of her mouth like fangs and poking at her chin telling me, "I know it's there, but I can't feel it."

After a quick stop for some liquid ibuprofen (I'd brought chewables not knowing she'd be unable to eat anything crunchy for 24hours), we headed home where Amelia spent the rest of the day noshing on ice cream and other assorted soft foods.

I am so grateful this whole ordeal went smoothly and happy to have such an attentive and caring crew of dental providers to take care of my kids' teeth. Amelia is as well, but she's more grateful that her ordeal netted her $5 from the Tooth Fairy.

Jeff and I both believe strongly in getting regular dental care for ourselves and the girls and are lucky to have extremely good dental insurance. I just heard today on the radio that in these uncertain economic times more and more people are cutting out regular dental visits. Some, I am sure, aren't going to the dentist because they lost their insurance and simply cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket for even a cleaning. Others, I figure, never had dental insurance and, therefore, have never been able to afford regular dental care.

Growing up I was fortunate to be covered under my daddy's military insurance, which had fantastic dental coverage. My momma always said the military was very keen on seeing to it that the teeth of their soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines were always in tip-top shape. However, Jeff grew up in a family where regular dental care was, at times, a luxury that was out-of-reach, financially-speaking, for them, which I think is why he's so adamant about making sure we have the best coverage he can afford.

My mother grew up at a time when the only time she ever saw a dentist was when she had a tooth that was so rotten and painful it had to be removed. She once shared with me that were it not for an elementary school teacher who taught her class that they should brush their teeth everyday and could use a sweet gum stick if they didn't have a real toothbrush, then there's a good chance she never would have known at all to brush her teeth. Dental hygiene was not a priority as far as my grandparents were concerned. In fact, momma's older sister's teeth were so terrible that she had a full set of dentures at the ripe old age of 19!

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the lack of dental care my mother had as a child, caused her to be fastidious about taking care of the teeth she took with her into adulthood. She brushed and flossed twice a day and made sure she saw the dentist twice a year.

Despite her best efforts, though, her early years without proper dental care resulted in her gums being in quite bad shape, which meant they receded terribly with each passing year. I was born when she was almost 32 at which time she wore an upper and lower set of partial dentures. By the time she died almost six years ago, she was wearing a full set of dentures the need for which came after she finally agreed to have her few remaining teeth pulled from gums that were barely able to hold them in her jaw.

Momma hated her dentures with a passion because they never fit properly due the fact her gums were in such bad shape. She tried using all kinds of goop and fillers to get a good fit, but, more often than not, she just didn't wear them - unless she was leaving the house and that's only because she was too damn vain to let anyone outside the family see her without teeth.

Proper dental hygiene was very important to momma, and she instilled its importance in me, which is why I am so determined that my kids take care of their teeth too. I've shared some of the stories about my momma with Amelia as a lesson about why taking care of her teeth is so necessary. She was shocked by the stories, but I hope once the shock wears off the lessons will remain.

GrandJan would be so proud to know her suffering could help her grandchildren know and appreciate the importance of taking care of their teeth. Plus, it would please her to no end to know that these little gals never have to suffer the indignity of wearing ill-fitting, ugly dentures.