Dentist

Last week the girls had dentist appointments. This was Layla's first time at the dentist, so I wasn't sure how she'd handle it, but she did great! The last year she has felt left out as Annabelle had so many different medical appointments, so she loves when it is her turn to go to the Dr. The dentist turned out to be no different! I was still checking in at the front desk when the dental assistant called their names. They were so excited to see which room they would get so they went on back without me! When I got there, this is what I found: Two cute girls laying in the chair together watching Shrek on the ceiling.

Annabelle sat super still while they cleaned and polished her teeth. Layla started down the same path, but she didn't care for the tool and suction in her mouth, so she ended up just having hers done with a normal toothbrush by the assistant. Both of the girls made the "No Cavity Club" and they were super excited. Annabelle was happy to show off her certificate. Layla, on the other hand, was too excited to run off and put her tokens in the toy machine.

I think I've mentioned before that Annabelle will need to have special dental care because of the radiation to her neck. Even though they used blocks to try and keep the beams from hitting her jaw and teeth, they can't be certain that none of it was radiated. The dentist said she expected to see white marks and lines on Annabelle's teeth because of the treatment she has been through, but she was amazed (and kept repeating it over and over!) that Annabelle had none. Her teeth are really clean and looked great on the x-rays and upon exam. I was SO glad to hear that! We stepped up our oral hygiene when the speech therapist told us of all the complications that radiation can cause, and it seems to have paid off. All of the time spent brushing, flossing, swishing, more flossing and more swishing was worth it! Now we are praying that her permanent teeth continue to develop properly and come in without any problems. If she does ever have to have a tooth pulled, they will be very concerned about healing in that area and will likely need to do it in a hyperbaric chamber. We will deal with that, if the need arises, but for now I am just very happy that both of the girls' teeth and healthy! I hope to hear more good news when they go back in 6 months.