Good News, Bad News...

Good News: Our health and dental insurance cards arrived in the mail last week and I made A LOT of appointments to get us caught up on everything that we've had on hold.

Bad News: (but really it's me being a wuss) I'm now driving to a lot of appointments in 185 degree heat...ok I exaggerated...a little.

Good News: The big boys did fantastic for their first trip to the dentist, even the older one that I was a little worried about.

More Good News: The office is close to our house!

Bad News: Gabriel has 5, count them 5, cavities and Garrett has 2.

Good News: The new insurance will cover a ton of it.

Bad News: Gabriel has some serious issues with needles. Stephen has to hold him down for a puny flu shot. Cavity repair is going to be difficult for all of us involved. I asked for a tranquilizer to give him. Funny how they don't give those for kids.

Good News: I took them to a pediatric dentist in hopes that it'd be a good fit, and THEY LOVED IT! It was a way child friendly office. Each kid got to pick the kind of sunglasses to wear while their teeth were cleaned and given a mirror so they could watch what was going on. Garrett had some major build up that had to be removed; he sat there calmly playing a game and didn't seem to notice a thing. Later the dentist told me it's just something that some kids get and to just make sure he's in every 6 months. Gabriel was satisfied with the explanation of how they will fix his 5, count them 5, cavities. Both kids loved the goody bags, stickers and prize they got to pick with their token. This place was a hit. Once again, we have been blessed with finding a good medical fit for our kiddos.

Bad News/Good News: I have 4 more visits to get all the cavities fixed. They only work on one quadrant at a time. That's a good thing for the kids and will prevent any kind of dentist apprehension, but means I have to schedule 4 more visits.

Good News: I have a phenomenal husband!

Bad News: Apparently his cavity prone teeth are genetically dominant. (The O N L Y dominant feature I have is my severe myopia! The kids can thank me for that later.)

Good News: In two weeks when he's out of the academy he gets to go in and find out how many cavities he's developed in the last few uninsured years, AND get them fixed. I just went in and am proud to say I'm still cavity free...and have NEVER had one. I don't have much I can brag about so this will have to do. :-)

Random Note: There was another mom there with a 5 year old girl. She looked at me and said, "I don't know how you do it with two at the same time." I chuckled and said there's one more taking a nap at Grandma's right now (then thought about all my friends with more and thought I don't know how they do it). I explained it is very noisy, destructive and a high energy kind of environment. She said she struggles with her one child "and she's an easy one". She then asked how long I've been in the area. I assumed she meant the city we live in and responded since 1992. She said, "wow I can't detect any kind of accent what so ever." Then I realized what she really meant. I told her that I was born and raised here in good ol' Arizona, but had moved around within the state. Stephen and I are truly anomalies (sp?); we were both born and raised in the state. It's surprising how many times I get questioned about where I'm from because of the lack of accent. I should be a news anchor, they wouldn't have to teach me how to talk first. ;-)

*The dentist was great, very patient and good with the kids. When they were all done she came over and talked with me about a few things. She was very surprised to find any cavities because the kid's gums and teeth appeared to be in such good shape. Since they were babies I've invested a pretty good chunk of money in the fluoride water at the store. She was the second Dr. to confirm that our water does NOT have sufficient amounts of fluoride in it. I have a shelf and when it goes on sale I fill the shelf up...sometimes I feel silly spending money on water, but it's good I did. I'm glad I haven't been wasting my money. Although, our cavity count would send a different message. She asked how many kids I have; I answered 3 boys. She smiled, she has 2 boys, and then talked about dental trauma in boys. It was actually really good information; like if a tooth is knocked completely out then put it back in. This grossed me out, so she said to put it in milk and call them to let them know that we were on the way for THEM to put it back in. She explained that boys have the ability to internally and externally injure themselves and to have the ER or Urgent care take care of them first (have a plastic surgeon fix the external injuries) then have them do the dental work after. She's suspicious that part of the cause for Gabriel's many cavities might be all of the soy/dairy free alternatives. I'm checking to see what the sugar content of rice milk, cheese, and coconut yogurt is. Gabriel whispered in my ear, "Will I have to get a shot?" I told him to ask the dentist how they fix cavities. He did, and she had a very good way to explain it, so I'm not going to have a fight on my hands...at least for the first time. ;-)

I'm, once again, SO happy we've been able to find a fantastic place to take care of the kids. I feel very confident that the kids will be comfortable with trips to get their teeth cleaned. I've never had any issues with the dentist and really wanted the same for my kids. Woo-Hoo.