Lainey Visits the Dentist

Lainey went to the dentist today! This is her third visit to see Dr. Ty. The first two visits had to do with her top two teeth. Today, however, we went to see Dr. Ty to get her teeth cleaned for the first time.

Highlights:

• Her teeth look good and she has a lot of space in her mouth (a good thing!).
• She had major tartar buildup on her bottom two teeth. We had forever thought that she just had discoloration on those two teeth, but it turns out, it was tartar. Joy. :) So, they cleaned it off, and Lainey noticed a difference! She said, "It all comed off!" :) Ha!
• She doesn't have a cross-bite (yet). That comes from too much pacifier use. We were told that we need to really start cutting back on the pacifier by about age 4. (Can you hear my sigh of relief?!) I'm such a chicken about getting rid of it...I'm enjoying having both of my kids sleep through the night too much to start the process of getting rid of it. I know, chicken.
• She does have an extra tooth that may start to appear at some point. It's in the spot where she's already missing a tooth, and it could start to come in just behind the open space. It will need to be pulled when it comes in, and if it prevents the permanent tooth from coming in, then it will need to be pulled. So I think that it will need to be pulled at some point. I'm pretty sure that was the message there. :)
• She had a few almost-tears. Her face crumpled a few times but she regained her composure and stayed strong.
• Total number of goodies taken home from our appointment: 7 princess stickers, 1 Hello Kitty sticker, 1 tiny toy dinosaur (a "baby T-Rex" according to Lainey), 2 toothbrushes (one for her, one for Walker), 1 small tube of toothpaste, 1 pink hourglass sand timer, and several flossers that are specifically made for kids.

Lainey is waiting to get her x-rays taken (not a fun thing - always just awkward and uncomfortable, especially for a 3-year-old). The hygienist told her she was going to use her fingers to feel around in her mouth, and Lainey misunderstood and showed the woman her fingers. :) Sweet baby. Love her innocence!

getting ready for x-rays

watching the movie Tangled with her baby by her side

All in all, she did great. The hygienist and dentist were very pleased with her attitude and behavior. I don't think she loved being there, and I think it's going to be hard to go back in six months, but I'm proud of how she did today and that she did everything that was asked of her. Good job, Lainey!