As part of the genetic legacy that I sent JT's way, he has lovely golden skin, dark brown eyes, and thick brown hair. But I wasn't able to pass on my good teeth and so the boy has had an occasional cavity. We're being careful to brush and floss but not having as much success as we'd like. Today when he went to the dentist, he had a cavity.
The last time he had a cavity ---- his first one --- he was bent out of shape for days afterward because of the Novocain used to numb his mouth for the filling. No matter how much I explained that the Novocain was supposed to prevent pain, he didn't believe me. With a mouth still droopy from the Novocain, he complained VOCIFEROUSLY about the discomfort that, naturally, was all my fault.
When we got to the dentist today, everyone made a great fuss about his big red cast. So he was already the center of attention before the dentist found the cavity. When we conferred in the hall, the dentist and I agreed to fix the cavity immediately. The nitrous oxide was rolled out and the cavity was filled.
Though he wasn't at all clear about what had happened, my poor baby knew that HE WASN'T HAPPY. We all knew. Even the nitrous oxide wasn't much of a distraction and when it was all done, he glared at me. Conveniently, his numbed mouth precluded talking, thus saving my tongue lashing for a date to be named later. I loaded my angry, numb, tearful boy into the car and brought him home where he could drool in private.
This is one of those days where it would be really, really nice to have another parent to help out.
Sigh.
Hope he feels better soon, and doesn't make your life too miserable. At least he had the nitrous oxide. When I was a kid all my cavities got drilled and filled without any anesthetic. I had bad reactions to vaccines as a baby, and I have a number of allergies so my Mom and the dentist decided it was safer to do things without the pain killers. Made me really hate the dentist. As a grownup I've been able to tolerate lidocain which is a god send.
ReplyDeleteOhhhh, that is just not fair - a cavity on top of a cast??? And I remember well how unhappy he was with the novacaine from the first cavity. I hope things turn around for the young lad soon!!!
ReplyDeleteOh the poor kid, it's just one thing after another. I was a single parent of sorts for 3 years and got to deal with all of these things alone,so I know where you are coming from. The funny thing is that now that we are a 2 parent family again, the girls still only want me when there is something wrong! It's frustrating in a way, but I also feel very loved, which doesn't hurt the ol' ego!!
ReplyDeleteOooh, hope he's feeilng better! I know exactly how you feel... sometimes it's fine being a single parent, but for stuff like that you really do notice the void.
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