Embarrassed to admit it, making Brynley and Livia's 1st dentist appointment was something I kept forgetting to do. Then, I got to a point where I was just putting it off solely because I thought it was going to be a nightmare and I wasn't looking forward to it. However, it's just one of those things in life that everyone has to do and I was determined to make it an enjoyable experience for the girls. I didn't want them to be scared of any of it!
The week leading up to their visit, we read the books, The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist, along with Going To The Dentist. Both helped them to understand what the dentist would do and what the room would look like etc. By the morning of their appointment, they were anxiously awaiting their special day with Dr. Connie, the Dentist!
As I previously mentioned, I wanted this to be something that was not daunting to them; as it is normal for children to feel uncertain when having to go see the doctor or dentist. We picked B up from school a few minutes early so we were on time for their appointment. She just so happened to have Clifford, her class pet (stuffed animal), home with us for the day. B was so excited to bring Clifford to the dentist with her!
On the way over, I told B and L how excited I was to be able to go with them and how much I loved going to the dentist when I was a little girl because I always got stickers and a new toothbrush as a reward. They thought that was really cool! I told them I was excited to sit next to them on the chair and see how clean their teeth were. I also mentioned that they may be ale to pick out a surprise from Dr. Connie's treasure chest if they were brave and followed Dr. Connie's directions...NOW they were really excited and ready!
After filling out paperwork, we sat in the waiting room for about 15 minutes and the girls & I read some familiar books until they called us. Once the hygienist called us back, they were practically running to jump in the chair. B went first, then L. Dr. Connie showed them all the instruments and explained (in toddler terms) what each was meant for. She had stuffed animals with full sets of teeth and used them as her "patients" to show the girls exactly what she was going to do. She even let them hold the instruments so they would feel comfortable with her using them in their mouths.
The appointments took less than 45 min. for both girls combined and went extremely smoothly...much better than I ever imagined! There was excitement, zero tears or fear and even more importantly, ZERO cavities! Brynley asked me multiple times if I would take her picture to show her friends :)
After all was said and done, I was pleasantly surprised at how well their 1st visit with Dr. Connie went! Two {cavity-free} smiles and new tooth brushes for the win for the Racobaldo girls!