elliot and the dentist

Elliot is scared of the dentist and has really needed some dental work (all my kids have worse-than-they-should-be teeth). The last dentist we saw was very abrupt with him and wouldn't let me sit with him while he was being worked on. He got hysterical.

So I went looking for a dentist on my dental insurance who would at the very least let me stay with him and at best, would offer gas for anxious patients.

I found out that there were NO pediodontists on my insurance and that most only see kids six and under anyway. Elliot is 8.

So we finally settled on Dr. Dugger in Fountain City. She was recommended by several people (including Jon).

Right away I liked her. She was patient and communicative with Elliot. She never acted like his fears were silly or overblown. She lets me be with him at every step and she let Elliot watch while she cleaned Jane's teeth the other day. He liked that a lot. She also never talks down to him.

Today he had to have the first of two decaying baby teeth extracted. He was so frightened that he tried to cling to the porch railing at her office and at first, refused to go inside. I peeled him off and we went in, with the assurance that if he really couldn't deal, we would leave (Our pediatrician had already told me that we would have to send him to an oral surgeon who could put him under if he couldn't deal with having this done in the dentist's office).

H e was literally shaking throughout the procedure, but she helped him through it. Elliot's dad and I stayed in the room with him.

Dr. Dugger's assistants were just as good. She took it very slow and encouraged Elliot to tell her when he was uncomfortable.

He made it through and the tooth came out. I was so, so proud of him. I could tell he was proud of himself.