[day 82 ... march 23]

Niall had a dentist appointment today, which I thought would be just a standard cleaning, checkup, and flouride visit. That's challenging enough for a boy with sensory issues, but he's gotten much better about being able to handle it. They decided he needed x-rays this time, and not just bite-wings but a panorama. He did so well! Stood very still, tolerated having those awful cardboard bitewing film pieces in his mouth. Stayed calm and still, did just what he was asked to do. Yay Niall!

I thought we were home free, but no. First, the dentist showed me a tiny shadow on one of the x-rays that is apparently yet another cavity we'll need to get filled. No amount of diligent brushing and flossing prevents them all with this guy, it seems. We work so hard at it too. :-( Then she said we should put sealants on his molars, which I've been resistant to previously (Kellen and Tynor did find without them, and honestly, seems like just one more way to add a "preventative" that perhaps all kids don't need but which insurance companies will pay for). But since Niall is so cavity prone, I agreed to go ahead - not realizing she meant they'd apply them today. Yikes! That did *not* go well. First, the hygienist didn't tell him exactly what she was going to do and take it slowly. Second, to keep the sealant off his cheek, he had to have a piece of something edgy stuck in there while she "cured" each sealant application, and it hurt his mouth but he was still supposed to hold still while she finished each one.

I didn't realize that she was doing something besides the regular cleaning until she was almost done with three (out of six) of them, and then had to run Cory to the bathroom. When I got back, Niall was out of the chair, sobbing madly, completely distraught. :-( The hygienist said they "weren't able" to do the final three sealants - um, no kidding! Clearly the process wasn't working for Niall and they should have stopped and figured out a Plan B.

So now I need to talk to the dentist again about Niall's disability, how to best handle it, and stress that things need to go slow, he needs to be told exactly what's going to happen, and if it hurts, we figure out another way to do it (like add meds). Sigh. I blame myself, too, for bringing Cory along and having him take my attention away from making sure Niall's visit was going smoothly. Won't make that mistake again. So much for "routine visit." :-(