Well, that's a bust.

[elfs]

I should never be allowed to take a child to the doctor's. I get stressed out, worrying about whatever pains my child might suffer, and man, that is not good for the kid to see. We tried to take Kouryou-chan to the dentists' today to have her front teeth looked at. They're broken and have to come out, but Kouryou-chan wouldn't try the gas at all, totally freaked out when they tried to do the topical Novocaine. The doc said that they could restrain her by force if needed, but after a point it became my responsibility to find another option. So we left the teeth in-- they'll ache Kouryou-chan until they fall out, and she understands that as well as she is able-- and got a prescription for penicillin (yeah, real old-fashioned penicillin) to take care of the obvious infection underneath.

Poor little girl. I hope she'll do okay with this. She's such a stubborn girl, too; once she gets an idea in her head that she's not going to do something she is not gonna do it, no matter what.

Comments

White labcoat fever

[slutdiary.livejournal.com]

If push comes to shove and the dental work has to happen, ask your dentist if s/he will use Versed liquid.

It has a cherry or grape or something flavor, is similar to Valium, and has a slight amnesic effect for the time the procedure is going on. The dentist should be able to compute the appropriate dose per kg for pediatric use.

Re: White labcoat fever

[trinsf.livejournal.com]

I second this. Were you at a pediatric dentist, or was this a general dentist?

There's no reason for your daughter to have problems of this kind with this dental work, because there are methods to prevent it. She can take medication before you ever get there to make her sleepy and relaxed before the procedure. Pediatric dentists also have training and techniques to minimize the "scary" factor for children.

My concern is that children who start equating dentist and "scary" develop into adults with a dentistry aversion. That, in turn, can set one up for a lifetime of dental problems.

Re: White labcoat fever

[omahas.livejournal.com]

Were you at a pediatric dentist, or was this a general dentist?

This was a pediatric dental surgeon. I wish that I had been there, because I would have been able to handle the situation better...as Elf said, he just can't stop himself projecting, and it turns into a runaway feedback loop.

But I had a doctor's appointment of my own to go to right after they took the x-rays but before the diagnosis came back. I think we'll look into the suggestions given and give this a try again.

She may have the same face-restraining phobia that I have...masks over my mouth and nose that inhibit breathing in some way cause me real problems. I told her that and she seemed to feel a little better about the whole situation as well.

Since I wasn't there, I can't tell how they tried to minimize the fear factor, but telling Elf to leave the room at one point was not necessarily the best of ideas...though considering how he was projecting stress they may have felt that was better than the alternative.

Re: White labcoat fever

[trinsf.livejournal.com]

During my years working with dentists and dental assistants, I learned that the pesky parent/child feedback loop is the reason most pediatric dentists don't allow parents past the waiting room. *grin* Some pedodontists even have closed circuit or one way mirrors so parents can watch from the waiting area. Otherwise, a significant percentage of parents convey fear and anxiety to their children to the point that what happened to y'all happens.

Asking Elf to leave was probably standard; I bet they wished they'd never let him back in the first place, to be honest. I know that sounds harsh, but I speak as one of those parents prone to exactly that sort of reaction in medical situations. (My daughter was only a week or so old when I fainted with her in my arms, after they stuck her heel for a test. After that, I stopped holding her during procedures.)

As mentioned earlier, I suggest going with Versed or a similar cocktail -- these days, they even make lollipops for this purpose, under the brand name Oralet.

Re: White labcoat fever

[omahas.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the suggestion. We'll look into it. :)