No-one?

Really?

Well, let me tell you about our trip.  Cause who doesn’t love going to the dentist or at the very least, hearing about other people going.

Ace knew what to expect.  We were there 6 months ago.  That was when he 1st had x-rays taken.  That was also when Jay made it abundantly clear that we were NOT going to get x-rays of HIS teeth. It wasn’t even close to being an option.  Back then I had to lay in the chair while holding Jay on top of me and then the dentist literally put him in a head lock so she could look in his mouth.  By the time she was finished, she had an 8 inch diameter wet patch on her scrubs.  It wasn’t pretty.

This past Friday, Ace hopped up into the x-ray chair, donned his cape and got pictures taken of his teeth.  (To be honest, he got the front ones done with no problem but he  fussed a little about getting the back teeth done.  In the end he powered through and I was very proud of him.)

I know the picture is not very good quality but that’s my Ace of spades getting ready to get teeth x-rays taken.

This is Jay watching from just outside the door.

The apprehensive look on his face and the way he wouldn’t let CC put him down and the tight grip with which he held onto his toys told me there was no way we were gonna get x-rays of his teeth on this visit either. Seriously, isn’t that the look of “If you think I’m getting in that chair you must have lost your mind.” ?

I should know better than to try and predict what he’ll do though because as soon as Ace got down from the chair, Jay wriggled his way out of CC’s arms and did this …

Yes yes ya’ll … he got in the chair and let the dental assistant put the radiation cape on him.  He even said “ahh” when she asked him to but then he closed his mouth quickly when she tried to put the x-ray film in it.

We didn’t actually get the x-rays but hey … I CALL THAT SUCCESS!!!

6 months ago, he wouldn’t even walk into the room much less get in the chair and let them put on the cape and say “ahh”.  That’s 4 huge hurdles he’s jumped over and as proud as I am of Ace for being a big brave boy, I’m just as proud of Jay.

You want more?

OK you got it.

After Ace had his exam done – complete with teeth counting and cleaning and a fluoride treatment – he asked me not to let Jay get the same thing.  He didn’t think Jay would like it and he didn’t want his brother to have to go through that.

How deliciously sweet of him.

Despite Ace’s objections though, Jay happily climbed up on the table, lay back and let the dentist brush his teeth with a different toothpaste than he’s used to.  She was great and she didn’t use the weird looking motorized one she used on Ace; she used a regular tooth brush.  She also didn’t give him the fluoride treatment Ace had gotten.  Apparently it doesn’t really taste like bubble gum even though they try to tell kids that it does and she didn’t want to do anything to turn Jay off future trips there.

That’s my Jay Jay getting his teeth professionally brushed.  HUGE!!!

I’m not saying the dentist is now my kids favourite place to go or that they would choose to begin every holiday week that way but the trip was a ginormous success in my book.

I’ll never know how hard it was for him to get through the dentist visit but I do know my boy works really hard everyday to get through what should be simple, everyday tasks and on Friday he kicked some serious “sensory” and “social skills” and “developmental delay” and “inappropriate response” and “resistant to change” butt.