So Jonah just had 4 teeth pulled.
FOUR!
I really had no idea how he would do.
When his orthodontist told me he would need these teeth pulled a few months back, she might as well have told me that he needed an arm amputated.
Like such a simple procedure may as well have been MAJOR SURGERY.
I decided he would need to be put under for it, as there was no way he would sit through four extractions.
Heck. I don’t think I would be able to sit through four extractions and I don’t have sensory issues.
But I saw the x-rays.
Jonah’s permanent teeth are already coming in and there just isn’t enough room in Jonah’s mouth for them.
He needs those teeth out or his permanent teeth will come in “wherever.”
The dentist has worked on Jonah’s teeth through three appointments now so she has built up some rapport with him.
She was convinced she could do the extractions without needing general anesthesia.
You see, there are risks with being put under.
Of course there are also risks for Jonah with “not” being put under. (Including possible violent uncontrollable rage)
So what risks would I rather take?
Jonah could have a massive meltdown halfway through the procedure and that would be bad news for everyone. I can’t even fathom it.
But I have also read stories about major side effects with general anesthesia and some patients just “not waking up.”
I’m not going to risk THAT if I don’t absolutely have to…
So we decided to use nitrous oxide to keep him at ease and lessen the anxiety, while using a local anesthetic to numb the pain in his mouth.
If he has a meltdown, he has a meltdown. If I had to intervene, I ABSOLUTELY would.
I really had no idea how he would react at all. I just hoped for the best.
😳
So today was the day.
Because there was an established routine for “the dentist’s office,” there was no anxiety on Jonah’s part.
He has been to the dentist before, and he has been a superstar for teeth cleanings…
But this was going to be different. MUCH DIFFERENT.
Jonah climbed into the chair completely oblivious of how “different” this session would be.
When the doctor came in, she asked me how much she should tell Jonah about what was happening.
I really appreciated the dentist deferring to me before proceeding. Some kids can handle the knowledge of their teeth being pulled out better than others.
At this point I figured the best thing to do would be to explain to Jonah exactly what she was doing and exactly what to expect.
If Jonah knew what was actually happening, he MIGHT freak out…
…but if we DIDN’T tell Jonah what was happening, he DEFINITELY would freak out.
You guys.
Jonah was an ABSOLUTE ROCK STAR!
The only time he protested was when the needle with the Novocain poked him.
(NOBODY likes that).
He even verbally protested instead of screaming…
“NO! ALL DONE!!”
Man. It pulled on every last heart string of mine.
But they reassured him and told him he was through the worst of it.
And sure enough, he didn’t make a peep the rest of the visit, (which was less than 10 minutes).
The dentist said he was the BEST patient of the day.
I couldn’t hope for a better result.
After we left, Jonah kept touching his chin and lip, perplexed that he couldn’t feel it… also looking in the mirror, weirded out that he was now missing 4 more teeth.
It’s certainly understandable.
But we took a trip to the bouncy house play area for the next couple hours. The feeling returned to his lip and all that uneasiness wore right off.
We went out to eat after that.
Jonah couldn’t bite into his food with so many front teeth missing, so I cut it into smaller pieces he could handle.
He was fine with it. He nearly cleared his plate.
We even got milkshakes for dessert.
I like to say that we celebrate #smALLVICTORIES around here, but you know what?
Ain’t nothin’ small about this victory today.
#Ausome