Blossom

Some days my amazing little girl takes me by surprise and today was one of those days.
Last Thursday at Miss E's dental check-up it turned out she needed a filling. I was so upset to discover we were the worst parents in the world - not cleaning her teeth properly, letting her eat too many sweets and chocolates, letting her drink too much juice, letting her take milk to bed, giving her inordinate amounts of raisins and fruit.....
I was so worried that she'd be completely traumatised by the whole experience and it would be horrific and it was all our fault.
I woke up this morning feeling sick with anxiety about it. And anxious about not making Miss E anxious because obviously she had no idea what was coming, and anxious that I was being ridiculous to get so anxious over a filling.....
I had explained that she had a hole in her tooth and the dentist was going to fill it - with modelling clay just like Mr Maker uses!!! - I said it might be a bit scary but I'd be there and afterwards we could go and buy her a non-edible treat. Completely randomly she said she wanted to go and buy new knickers!!!!
I was practically hyperventilating by the time we got there and the fact that she was skipping along excitedly with two of her Barbie Dolls just made it worse. I hated the thought that she didn't know what was about to happen.....
The dentist was brilliant and let me lie down on the chair with Miss E on top of me - it meant I could wrap my arms round her and stroke her head. She lay perfectly still while the dentist and assistant drilled (with a magic water squirter), sucked (with the magic hoover) and dried (with the magic blower) and then filled with the "modelling clay".
She was so good it made me want to cry. My worries that she'd freak out and resist were proved so wrong and I've never been so proud of her.
And the dentist said it wasn't decay but that the tooth had come through with no enamel and that had caused the fissure. She said we mustn't blame ourselves and that the rest of her teeth are fine.
But still it was a bit of a wake up call and we now have a new regime - no juice in the house, teeth cleaned thoroughly morning and night, nothing except water at night after teeth are cleaned, less sweets/chocolates/cake/treats.
Ha ha, mean Mummy and Daddy!!!! But so far, they're being very accepting.