Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Trauma at the Dentist

Over Christmas break Halle had a filling in her tooth fall out. Of course the dentist was on vacation so we just waited it out. When he finally got back in the office I called to make her an appointment, but he was full until the end of January. (If he'd work more than 3 days a week, this might solve the problem.) So we waited some more, and then Halle started complaining about a tooth ache. I looked in her mouth and her gum was very swollen and red above the tooth. So I called the dentist again, thinking that surely he'd get her in now, it was turning into an emergency, but no, he just prescribed antibiotics for the abscess and said, "See you on the 29th."

So, today, we (and by we, I mean me, Halle, Carter, and Kate) FINALLY went to the dentist and after an x-ray, he determined that the infection caused bone loss and that the tooth was basically unfixable. So he needed to pull it out. Can we just say HOLY TRAUMA!!!! He said we could wait until another day, but there was no way I was going to leave that office with the same unfixed tooth that has been giving us so many problems.

So we hooked Halle up to the gas to calm her down and then in came the shots lady. I sent Carter and KAte out to the waiting area (as Carter still needed a filling done and I didn't want him to see Halle's process). She gave Halle her first shot and Halle just started SCREAMING. I am sure it hurt a little, I hate shots in my mouth, but she was also worked up from the shock of suddenly having a tooth pulled.
But seriously, she was really causing a scene. The lady got done with the shots and then I overheard this conversation between her and the assistant, "You need to get here."
"Where? You told me I."
"No, I told you J. The tooth with the cavity."
So guess what they had to do.....YEP, start all over with the shots again because they numbed the wrong stinkin' tooth!!!!

Meanwhile, they bring Carter back to do his tooth in the room over. All goes well there, THANK GOODNESS! Then it's time to pull the tooth. It actually was very easy and painless. (Should have been since over half of her head was numb.)

Halle told me that she wanted $20 from the tooth fairy for this tooth. I told her the tooth fairy didn't give out 20's. We had to stop at WalMart on the way home and in WalMart Halle said, "Mom, I'll leave a note for the tooth fairy NOT to leave me any money if I can get a new fish instead." (Boy this girl can bargain.)

So home we went, with a new fish in tow, and one less tooth in the mouth. NOT what I had expected for my day. Good thing I had a lunch date with Becky planned!!!

12 comments:

Jennifer P. said...

Poor Halle! Was it a baby tooth, or is she going to need a bridge now?

I would be half-tempted to tell the dentist that the tooth-pulling better be on the house since it was his lack of care that caused it to get to the point that it did. Sheesh! Whatever happened to the CARE in health care? I can only imagine what the whole system will turn into if the federal government gets its dirty paws on it! (Here I go stirring the political pot again, and on such a sweet tooth posting too :) ).

Did you name the fish Toothfairy?

Jonathan & Rachel said...

Poor thing!! I hate the dentist anyway-I can't imagine!! At least the tooth is out of there with hopefully NO more problems. That DANG dentist!!! I'm way impressed with her bargaining skills as well-glad she got her fish-hopefully you are better at keeping them alive than I am!! What a day!

Miki said...

I'm stunned. I'm silent, speechless, and aggravated! Okay, I'm not speechless, but still! What the heck! That was just plain wrong. Poor Halle. I think I hate your dentist. :) Okay, I vented. All is well, except for poor Halle's tooth! I don't really "hate" your dentist by the way, but man, it makes you think......."did he do EVERYTHING possible?" I just have my doubts.

Well, glad Halle at least got a fish out of the deal. I'm still shaking my head. This one's going to be hard for me to get over, and it didn't even happen to me!

Emily said...

Thats horrible. So sorry for you, sounds like a FUN day.

LouandAngela said...

Unbelievable! I had the same question Jen had, was it a baby tooth? I can't imagine putting her off for so long. I guess I won't ask who the dentist is--hopefully not one that I know. And what luck, to numb the wrong side. I was afraid they had pulled the wrong tooth! I guess there's the silver lining, eh?

Natalie and Quin said...

So was it a baby tooth? I guess that was the last trip to that dentist. IT BETTER BE ELENA--Q.

You shouldn't put up with that! That Dr. owes you an appology. You should tell everyone that Dr.'s name so that no one else has to go through that. I have seen at my work the ramifications of when dr's behave in that manner. DO NOT PUT UP WITH IT! EVER! with any dr!!!--N

Elena said...

All right everyone, calm down. ;) I actually really really like this dentist. He's a pediatric specialist and he is SOOOOO great with the kids. My kids have NEVER been scared there (until today). And I've never had a problem getting in to him (until this month). They told me today that they are getting an assistant dr. in soon so it will be easier to get in. Really I have been nothing but pleased with him, this little incident was very out of character. So, yes, I will continue to go to him unless another "incident" occurs. So we'll see. However, I really don't understand why they put me off for so long. I know better now and will demand an emergency appt. or will go to a different dentist that will see me right away.

As far as numbing the wrong tooth, it wasn't him that did it, and they only numbed the tooth right next the one they needed too. So it wasn't like a HUGE error, but an error none the less. And no, I didn't say anything about it, cause there was nothing that could be done except numb the correct tooth. No need to make a problem even worse. (Or scare Halle more, so I just bit my lip and told Halle she wasn't quite finished yet.)

Yes, it was a baby tooth. Infact, a tooth that shouldn't come out until she's 11. So they will be putting a spacer in to save room for the permanent one. I think she'll do fine with that procedure. Normally she's really quite brave at the dentist. This was just overly traumatic.

She's really being a trooper now and says that she was just mostly scared because she thought she wouldn't be able to talk the same with a missing tooth. Now that she knows better, and has the new fish "Goldilocks", life is much calmer. (Too bad my stupid camera is broken so you can't meet Goldilocks. Maybe I'll take and "orange-glow" picture anyway.)

Everyone keep their fingers crossed that the fish has a nice long life. That would just put Halle over the edge if it died soon.

Elise said...

I love Halle and her bargaining! She is so clever! Poor thing-- and poor you for having to deal with it all! Good thing for lunch dates for sure!!

lee ann said...

Ok, I was going to say "time for a new dentist" until I read your comment. I agree. Sometimes I think we're too hard on health care people. You SHOULD expect a lot out of them, but they are human at the same time.

Mama Williams said...

If "Goldilocks" dies you can have "Lucky". He won't EVER Die! He's been around so long we have renamed him 3 times.
I empathize with you- dentist trauma. Kayla had her tooth pulled a couple of months ago...I didn't tell her what we were going for! Made the whole thing great. Ignorance is Bliss.

becky ward said...

Thank goodness for lunch dates! And I forgot to tell you this morning when we were literally working our buns off...that delicious hamburger I had for lunch...same deal as your primary friend. Enough said.

Dawnyel said...

OH, how TRAUMATIC!! Poor girl, but a fish is WAY less than $20...right?! ;)