Jaxton Meets the Dentist

Jaxton went to the dentist for the first time this week. He has never been for a check up before. We have talked about the dentist for weeks. We went to a Pediatric Dentistry for a Mom & Me field trip. Then we got books about the dentist at the library. Then, Nate and I were due for a checkup, so we took Jaxton with us to watch Daddy in the big dentist chair get his teeth cleaned, flossed, x-rayed, and polished. He really enjoyed watching Daddy, but was sure glad he didn't have to do it. He was very hesitant and resistant about taking a ride in the dentist chair and made sure that it wasn't his turn that day. So I was a bit worried for his checkup. I knew he would have some resistance and some fear, even after all of our preparation. But I wasn't really sure what to expect.

So we got there and Jaxton was very nervous. He was fully prepared and knew it was his turn this day to sit in the dentist chair. But when that moment came, fear overtook him. He started to cry and clung to me. I reminded him about all the things we talked about and that the dentist was fun, not scary, and did not hurt. I climbed in the dentist chair with Jaxton on my lap, and the hygenist put on his bib, just like in all his books, and just like Daddy. Then she turned on the light above, and we remembered that we had brought his sunglasses for the bright light in his eyes. So I climbed off the chair and left him there to get them. With his sunglasses on, he felt better, and from then on out, he loved the dentist. He asked the hygenist all kinds of questions about her tools, all the buttons to push, and even whether she had a dog at home. He got to be very good friends with her. And she was just amazing with him! He got to hold the vacuume and turn it on and off. She would squirt water in his mouth, and told him to give the vacuume a kiss with his lips, and then the vacuume would "drink" the water. Jaxton later told me that the "vacuume has a very long tummy and that the water went inside his long tummy." I love the way he explains things! By the end of the visit, he was happy as can be, with a new toothbrush, red floss, new toothpaste, and a prize from the prize drawer. We totally conquered that fear! What a great visit!