When I got back from visiting the UK over Christmas, the first question Sharon asked me was "Auntie Rachel, when can we go back to the dentist?!" Ha! Sharon came to Open Arms last summer, just before the second annual dentist extravaganza - where 72 kids go to the dentist over a period of about 3 weeks. Sharon has extremely decayed teeth, so she required multiple trips to the dentist and her first visit she was very fearful. But, after a little bit of valium and letting her hold a mirror so she could watch - going to the dentist is now one of Sharon's favorite things!
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| Open wide! |
As long as she has the mirror to hold so she could see everything, Sharon let the dentist do pretty much anything.
Patrick's first time ever going to the dentist was for an abscessed tooth that needed to be extracted. I was not the one who took him, but I heard he was traumatized. His second visit was with me, and I took him just for a check-up - no cleaning, no treatment, just looking! - and he was terrified. He cried as soon as he saw the chair and I had to hold him and let him watch about 5 other kids go first before he would consider sitting down. For his next visit, a new toy car, a coloring page, and a little bit of valium - he was very calm and got two fillings with no tears.
The dentist told him many times during his treatment "You are good!" Afterwards, he just beamed. =)
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| Hugging his coloring page and waiting for the car ride home! |
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| Sharon and Gracie coloring pictures and waiting for the dentist to come. |
On this visit, Sharon went first. The wait was a bit long for Gracie, 4 years old, so she just seized the opportunity for a nap!
This was Gracie's first visit to the dentist and she needed two fillings, but she did great!
In just a few weeks, the Eldoret School of Dentistry's mobile clinic is coming to the village to do free dental care and education for all of our kids, including all the community children enrolled in Open Arms Academy! So much easier than taking multiple matatu rides to town with 5 or 6 kids at a time!
When I got back from visiting the UK over Christmas, the first question Sharon asked me was "Auntie Rachel, when can we go back to the dentist?!" Ha! Sharon came to Open Arms last summer, just before the second annual dentist extravaganza - where 72 kids go to the dentist over a period of about 3 weeks. Sharon has extremely decayed teeth, so she required multiple trips to the dentist and her first visit she was very fearful. But, after a little bit of valium and letting her hold a mirror so she could watch - going to the dentist is now one of Sharon's favorite things!
As long as she has the mirror to hold so she could see everything, Sharon let the dentist do pretty much anything.
Patrick's first time ever going to the dentist was for an abscessed tooth that needed to be extracted. I was not the one who took him, but I heard he was traumatized. His second visit was with me, and I took him just for a check-up - no cleaning, no treatment, just looking! - and he was terrified. He cried as soon as he saw the chair and I had to hold him and let him watch about 5 other kids go first before he would consider sitting down. For his next visit, a new toy car, a coloring page, and a little bit of valium - he was very calm and got two fillings with no tears.
The dentist told him many times during his treatment "You are good!" Afterwards, he just beamed. =)
On this visit, Sharon went first. The wait was a bit long for Gracie, 4 years old, so she just seized the opportunity for a nap!
This was Gracie's first visit to the dentist and she needed two fillings, but she did great!
I love you, Rachel. For taking our sweet kids to the dentist and going above and beyond to make sure it's not traumatic for them. These little things are so important! And Patty's getting so big :-(...
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