Cavity Free

Thanks to one filling.A month ago while brushing Kaitlyn's teeth I noticed a darker spot on one of her back molars. She had eaten Oreo cookies earlier, so I brushed it off as that. A few days later it was still there. Uh oh. So I got out the flash light and got a closer peek. And I just about died. I knew she had a cavity. Our first one out of all of our kids. I am a fluoride Nazi with the boys. They brush and swish and if it all seemed a bit too short, I'll make them do it a second time. They had vitamins with fluoride from the time they were babies. I was intense. And then the girls came along and I started to believe that the fluoride in the water would do the trick, so I wasn't quite as strict with the Tri-vi-flor after no one seemed to carry it. Wal-mart would have to special order it in and then later would tell me they couldn't get it in stock. I was weakened a bit. And Kaitlyn's dark spot proved that.

With Christmas fast approaching I knew we needed to act quick. Rich got a recommendation for a pediatric dentist from a fellow resident whose husband is a general dentist here in town and the very next day we there in the office for a check up. (Thanks to Ashlee who took Brynn so I could give my attention to the one who needed it!) Yes, I was right. She had a cavity. But the dentist also told me she had very deep molars and that he wasn't surprised. Man, I loved hearing that. He recommended we put sealants on the rest of her molars. Sounded good to me. The only bad part of appointment was hearing that he couldn't fill her cavity for over 5 weeks! Kaitlyn had never complained about the tooth, but that still seemed like forever away. But we signed up and waited. And then the day finally arrived today. Along with an ice storm. And the boys were not in school. Nice.

I also was a bit nervous (Rich might say psychotic) about Kaitlyn being sedated. First off, the dentist had to be younger than me. Not that that's a bad thing, but I wanted to make sure he knew what he was doing. So I asked Rich to call and ask them how they would sedate her, since he does it almost daily at the hospital. They were not in the office on Friday and out of the office on Monday. I was beginning to panic. I just wanted to know what to expect before I took her in. So I freaked Trey out by asking the boys to pray for her (let's just say that anyone who knows Trey understands he has a big heart when it comes to his siblings) and he assumed I was worried she was going to die. Tears were shed during FHE by the biggest brother and Rich rolled his eyes at my drama at least three times. After Rich gave Kaitlyn a blessing, I felt a bit better, but we still let Kaitlyn sleep in our bed (which she never does!) so I could just be close to her.

Yes, Matt has hit tonsils out and I think nearly every one of our siblings and parents have had surgery and Trey was sedated when they reduced his broken arm, but the fact that I did not know this doctor made me scared. It did. Even if it was to just be sedated. Those horror stories kept coming to mind and the fact that the release they made me sign at her initial appointment had the word 'death' on it no less that four times didn't settle my nerves.

Finally this morning Rich talked to the dentist at 7:30 AM and told me all would be well that it would be done safely. It was light a switch had been turned on and I was fine. I just needed to know before I got there. I needed to him say that in his opinion Kaitlyn would be in great hands. I guess only another paranoid, crazy mom would understand my worry.

Okay, back to the original story of today. We had an intense morning trying to get out the door, which helped Kaitlyn not realize she didn't have anything to eat or drink. We got through the ice and snow in record time and the kids were great. Kaitlyn cried while she was weighed, pouted while she had her blood pressure taken and was only slightly pleased when they offered her a Snow White sticker (Brynn happily took an Ariel one for herself). She was NOT excited about drinking her red 'princess juice' (liquid Versed), but we managed to get most of it down. After about 20 minutes she was drugged. She seemed like she was drunk. Her balance was first to go. As I held her on my lap she soon had a hard time focusing and then seemed puzzled when she couldn't get her hands to work. She really was a bit loopy. They came and took her from me and we all waited (Nintendo DS's in the boys hands while Brynn munched on Trix cereal while watching Go, Diego, Go) until she was done. She was soon (well, 2 1/2 hours after we got there)as good as new with a pretty while filling and sealed teeth. She was a bit groggy at first, but by the time we got to her to the car she was ready for some food. Wendy's hit the spot and by the time we finally got home she declared, "No nap!" She was up and running all day. She did managed to chew her poor lip a bit while it was numb and that was the only thing she said that hurt later on. Her rewards from the doctor were two Snow White stickers and a new bracelet. She's couldn't have been more pleased. I am just relieved the whole thing is over. Here's to NO MORE CAVITIES- FOREVER. I doubt I'll get my wish, but I'll keep hoping, and brushing and pumping them full of fluoride! Yup, I'm gung-ho again!

Headed to the dentistKaitlyn is ready to get her teeth fixedShowing off her prizeWaking up

Modeling her new stickersThis girl loves Snow White!Displaying the new bracelet

She happily points out which tooth was filled.

We love you princess!!!