extraction

Anna's been asking me for 2 years when she was going to lose her first tooth. Katie started losing teeth in Kindergarten, but I told Anna we'd just have to wait and see. Well we waited and waited, and finally the two front bottom teeth started coming in. Problem is, they were behind the baby teeth, so the baby teeth weren't getting loose.

We had our regular check-up at the dentist at the beginning of December, and the dentist told us that if they didn't come out on their own by Christmas, she wanted to extract them. I never explained to Anna exactly what that meant, just that the dentist was going to help take them out. At the same visit, they said Katie had a similar problem with one of hers. When we left, I told them they were getting dental work for Christmas - not funny, mom!

A week or so later, Katie's came out. She'd been giving it a really good workover - pushing, pulling, flossing, etc.

Anna wasn't as fortunate. We went back the week after Christmas, and they were still not very loose, and the new ones were coming in strong. Our dentist does such a wonderful job of being discreet. Anna didn't even know she had a shot - the worst part to her was the taste of the numbing gel they put on before the shot. Dr. Schlepp had to really tug and pull to get them out. Anna laid there patiently and hardly flinched. (It helped that she was listening to her new mp3 player.) I was so proud of her, and so grateful to our dentist for making it a not-so-unpleasant experience. Afterwards, I took Anna for ice cream. Dr. Schlepp said that cool would sooth some of the discomfort as the numbness wore off. Don't have to tell me twice! Baskin-Robbins soothes the pain!

And of course, the Tooth Fairy made a visit later that night... in exchange for the two pulled teeth, Anna got two $1 Presidential Coins.

And in case you're looking for a dentist... Stafford Family Dental