Our First Trip to the Dentist

 Since we talked about the letter d last week (the post is coming soon), I thought it would be a great time to take Mia to the dentist.  Thanks to Barney, "Let's Go to the Doctor" Mia was really excited.. 

The title of this video can be a little misleading since majority of the video is about going to the dentist and the Vet.  Anyways, it's Mia's favorite (thanks to Uncle Jake for an awesome Christmas gift) and  really helped her feel comfortable about her visit to the dentist.  The video actually goes through what to expect at the dentist, which was HUGE for Mia.

Mia was very shy and nervous when the dentist first came in.  Instead of having her lay on the exam chair, I held her and she put her head on the dentist's lap.  She was so BRAVE and didn't cry, kick, scream or even complain.  The dentist brushed her teeth with a toothbrush and applied a little fluoride. I am just so proud of how well Mia is maturing, if I would have done this 6 months ago, it would be been a nightmare.

When we got home, Mia ran to the mirror to look at her sparkly teeth! The dentist told us to keep up the good work since Mia has great looking teeth and no areas of concern. 

Top 5 ways to make a first dentist visit successful:

1.  Go when you think your child is ready/interested and hopefully before there is a problem.

2. Find a great pediatric dentist.

3. Talk about the dentist beforehand. Last night when I asked Mia how she was feeling about going to the dentist, she told me she was scared. Since, I knew that, I spent a lot of time talking her through the whole process.

4. Don't force your child to participate or make it a negative experience.

5. Be preventive...don't let your little one drink a lot of juice or eat a lot of junk food. The dentist said that fruit snacks or anything that sticks to the teeth are the worst culprits of cavities.