A Family ‘Dental’ Affair

Visiting the dentist’s office as a family outing is not recommended.  Next time, I think we should go to the movies or hit up an inflatable jump house. 

Yesterday Gaetano, Gianni and I had dental appointments one after the other.  Of course Vivi came with us, because she isn’t quite old enough to stay home alone.  We’ll give it a few more months… 

Of note, it was little G’s first ever trip to the dentist. 

I sped across town (or “city” actually, but that just sounded weird—across city) to pick up Gianni.  I sneaked into his classroom, as it was nap time and the lights were out.  I found all 3 feet of him curled up on a little cot.  He looked so sweet and comfortable but I had to scoop him up.  I threw him in the car and then sped back up the highway to the dentist’s office.  There we found Gaetano—holding Vivi—in the waiting room.  I barely had time to set my purse down before Gaetano was being called back to the chair.  He handed off Vivi, and there I was, in charge of the kids, with my blackberry in hand—trying to keep up with work emails, a 5 month old and a three year old. 

Gianni quickly discovered a mini bar in the waiting area that was stocked with fruit juice.  Naturally, he helped himself—a few times.  I juggled the baby, tried to keep little G’s volume at an “inside” level, answered LOTS of questions about the dentist (i.e. will the dentist cut my hair?) and kept working on the blackberry with one hand.  We served as entertainment to the administrative desk team, as well as the other patients.

An hour after Gaetano went back, they called for me, so we switched.  I’m not sure I’ve ever been more excited to see the dentist—ahh, it was so peaceful.

Shortly after they cleaned my teeth, they brought Gianni (and Gaetano AND Vivi) back to my room.  It was Gianni’s turn!  He was thrilled.  (We’d been talking this up for a day or two.)  Gianni insisted upon sitting in the chair by himself.  He loved it when the lady reclined his chair.  He said it was, “like a spaceship.”    And the glasses, “like a superhero.”  The lady asked him to open his mouth like a lion.  He complied, and threw in a growl for good measure.

Next, the lady said she was going to count and clean is his teeth.  She offered him all of her toothpaste flavors, and he settled on mint–after a few minutes of indecision.  Five minutes later she was done cleaning and polishing his tiny teeth.  She said, “We’re all done!  You did a good job!”  Gianni adamantly responded that he was NOT DONE.  So…she cleaned them AGAIN.  Five minutes later, we had to bribe him out of the “spaceship” with a drawer full of toothbrushes and stickers; another big decision.  He unsurprisingly chose Spiderman stickers and a Cars toothbrush. 

Two and a half hours after arrival, our circus-family left the office.  As we were checking out, Gianni leaned over and asked the receptionist to, “Smell my teeth!”