The Dentist - Take I

Today was Weston's first trip to the dentist.  He was fairly apprehensive about the whole deal and his mood didn't lighten upon arrival.  We brought Miles for a little moral support and he took his role very seriously. Actually, it started last night while the boys were snuggled in bed -- Miles coached Weston about what to expect and encouraged him to try the cookie dough flavored toothpaste.  I'm pretty sure Weston thought the whole conversation was a joke...cookie dough toothpaste?!  This dentist thing ain't real! No way!

Sorry buddy, it's for realz.

Behind the scenes, Westy is a loud, silly, wild little boy.  He always has a song playing in his head and a mischievous twinkle in his eye....life is one big game and he can't wait to rally the team for another round :-)

When it comes to things like haircuts, doctor appointments, and now dental visits, his little world is disrupted and his fight-or-flight instincts start screaming for him to flee.  Poor little guy!  Actually, the haircut experience has improved tremendously...so I'm optimistic that we can overcome this fear of the dentist some day, too.

Ever since the first toothbrush worked its magic in Weston's mouth (a good 2 1/2 years ago), we've talked with him about the importance of keeping his teeth healthy.  Part of that means having a checkup with the dentist.  Miles contributes to the discussion by talking about the special tickly brush, the flavored toothpaste, the light above the chair, and the awesome bag of goodies you get when you're done. We looked at some pictures of Miles last trip to the dentist a few weeks ago, and that was that.  Easy peasy.

Weston had other plans.  He wasn't ready for fancy toothpaste and he could not have cared less if he had 20 teeth or 200 teeth.  He sat on mommy's lap in the dental chair and cried big dinosaur tears.  After a bit of coaxing, he opened his mouth so Dr. Huxford could take a peek (from 4 feet away).  Suddenly the sadness turned to nervous giggling, and words of praise came pouring out of Miles' mouth.

"Good job, Westy!"
"Open bigger, Westy!"

Dr. Huxford was pleased with the color of Weston's teeth (we are trying to keep him away from coffee so as to minimize the staining) and with how nicely they are arranged.  I must say he does have an impressive little set of teeth....fingers crossed his adult teeth line up so perfectly, too.  I can't imagine orthodontics are getting any cheaper by the year.

We spent a little more time in the dental chair checking out the various tools that the hygienist uses to clean teeth.  Miles was her right hand man (literally), retrieving tools and putting them back in place when she was done demonstrating them for Weston.

Here's the one picture I snapped of the event.  A proud little boy picking out a toothbrush and pencil...with a little advice from his big bro, of course!

Today's experience proved to us once again that although Miles and Weston have a lot of similarities, the very core of their personalities is quite different. Which is how it should be since they are two special and unique little boys :-)  Miles' first trip to the dentist was a total breeze.  Below is the evidence (along with the same - extremely patient - hygienist!).  A little nervous, but playing it calm and cool.

I wonder what kind of comparison we'll make in another 13 years when Weston takes his driver's license exam?!  Eeeeek!