Visit to the Dentist

I picked Henry up for his first visit to the dentist today. He was excited to see me unexpectedly in the middle of the day. I wanted to leave immeidately--I had it planned to the minute. But he hadn't eaten lunch yet. I helped him eat the sandwich and orange and we put the fries in a bag and he ate them on the way--while he watched a Wiggles DVD. A new video store opened in town and their children's movies are free, so I have been rotating a new set of movies for Henry to watch in the car.
The dentist is Dr. Jennifer Chou (http://www.972sparkle.com/OurStaff/OurStaff.htm).

Henry wouldn't let me take a photo of him in the dentist chair. He sat in my lap while the dentist looked at his teeth. She and I sat with our knees together with him facing me, then I laid him down into her lap. I had to hold his hands while she probed his mouth with the mirror stick. She said his teeth looked great, and the second molars are coming in. But she didn't do any x-rays, that will be in July when we go back. Hopefully he will get a good report then.

She cautioned me not to give him the bottle anymore. I still give him a bottle on the 25 minute drive to work and most nights, either when he goes to bed or right before he goes to bed. I need to switch all to the sippy cup and not give him anything but water in the bed. He will probably rail against that but I think it can be handled okay.

Also she said letting him brush his teeth is not good enough. I have to brush his teeth for him because he is not yet dextrous enough to do a good job.

I witnessed a funny thing in the waiting room. A man and woman were there with their son and daughter. Only one parent can go in the exam room so the father was in with the daughter and the mother and son sat in the lobby. The boy crossed his legs and she poked him and said "Don't do that, I told you boys don't cross their legs!" And they were crossed in the way I was taught was the "masculine" way--with one ankle resting on the knee of the opposite leg, not crossed at the knees. A few minutes later the girl came out and the boy went in the exam room with the father. The girl, who was a little younger than her brother, sat stradling the chair with one leg on one side and one leg on the other side. I thought it was a really weird contradiction to what the mother just told the son. I wanted to tell her if she is going to tell her son to sit like a gentleman she also ought to tell her daughter to sit like a lady--because I found the way she was sitting a lot more annoying than the boy crossing his legs.

But I was a little self conscious myself. I crossed my legs like the boy did, then quickly uncrossed them for fear tht the woman would reprimand me.