Trips to the Dentist

We all had our first dentist visits here in Pocatello this past week. I had my last visit in May right before we left Anchorage, but for everyone else I think it had been about a year. We ended up deciding on going with a dentist who lives in our ward. I think it is kind of weird having a dentist or doctor who is also in your ward. Rebecca visit-teaches his wife who works at the front desk in his office and I talk to him sometimes at church more than just the "hi" in the hallway. Anyway, there were a few cavities that needed filled. Julia was the one who ended up needing the most work, which she was pretty upset about because she said that she is always the one who does the best job brushing. One of her fillings had fallen out and so her tooth had a hole in it that was about 1/3 of her tooth. The hole went down to the nerve so she ended up having to get a root canal (although the dentist didn't use that label).

I was sitting in the front waiting room when I first started hearing the screams. They said I could go back all I wanted so I went back to check on her and she had just gotten her numbing shot. The screams came and went after that, but there was non-stop crying through it all for about 30 minutes. I wasn't sure if I should stay back there with her because sometimes she cries more when Rebecca and I are around. After a few times of going back and forth, I did end up staying in the room and holding her hand until the end. It is not a very big dentist office and I wondered what the other patients must have been thinking to hear these death cries while they were getting their teeth cleaned.

Today in church our dentist came to check in with Julia and make sure she was okay. I think she thought it was cool to see him in the different context. Hopefully she wasn't too traumatized because she has to go back tomorrow to get another cavity filled on the other side.