Dentist visit

I take myself and my older kids to the dentist where my friend Heather works because she is the best dental hygienist in the world (she just is).

I take Mark to a pediatric dentist because I like to take a walk on the cuckoo side every six months.

Yesterday while I was sitting in the waiting room, you know...waiting, a hygienist came out to retrieve another child.  She asked his mom if she had any questions.  The mom said, "No, I guess not, but what exactly are you going to do?"

The hygienist said, "We're going to get him all ready and then give him the sleepy drops and then the dentist will give that tooth a wiggle."

The mom looked slightly confused, "So will he be sleepy afterward?"  (This mom was maybe new to the place where they speak like Lewis Carroll wrote the script.  They should provide a translation.  Sleepy drops = shots.  Wiggle = yank it out.)

"Oh, no," the hygienist assured, "We will give him the happy gas but as soon as we turn that off he'll be just fine.  We can give him some ibuprofen later."

"OK," said that mom, then to her son she said, "Do you want ibuprofen?"

"What is that?" he asked.

"It's like aspirin," the mom said.

The hygienist took over at that point (since she's so clear with her explanations),  "It's in case you have a little...discomfort."

"Will he?" the mom wondered.  Up until now it had all been about sleepiness and happiness and wiggling.

"Well...maybe," the hygienist said.  "There might even be some of the red stuff."

"She means blood," was my telepathic message to the other mother.  I'm not sure she got it.  My telepathy is rusty.

"OK," the mom said doubtfully.  

Mark came out with no cavities (yahoo!) and his hygienist asked me to make sure he didn't eat for a half hour because of the tooth vitamins.

In the van, Mark said, "Why can't I eat?"

"They put fluoride on your teeth and if you eat you will wash it away."

"Oh," he said, "OK."  Then he said enthusiastically, "Now I need to see what I got in my treat bag!"   I'm not sure what he was expecting but he seemed pleased enough by the new toothbrush, floss and sugar free gum.

The pediatric dentist is always fun.  Even though they lecture me (gently, that's how they roll) about flossing.

I know, I know.