So, our little sugarbaby Gage had a couple of cavities that were found at his dentist visit last month. One was on his canine and appeared to just be a soft sport that formed during the tooth's development. Nothing we could've done to prevent that one. However, there were two more on his back teeth, most likely the result of his love for all things sugary and sticky. So, there will be no more of those! Not that we will cut out all candy for the poor little guy, that would be just cruel. However, the worst offenders from the dentist's list will be eliminated as they are the ones that stick around for a long time and do the most damage. Of course, these worst offenders are most of his favorites -- tootsie rolls, laffy taffy, suckers, etc. It'll be rough on the little fella, but I'm sure he'll survive = )
Anyhow, back to the appointment. The dentist and her staff had previously discussed using a sedative with Gage since he is only 2 1/2. The sedative doesn't put the child to sleep, but is designed to help him calm down and relax so the dentist can complete the necessary dental work (fillings, x-rays, and flouride treatment.) The sedation also works to block the short-term memory of the child so they do not remember the "scary" part of the visit, thus hopefully curtailing fear of the dentist at future visits.
When we were advised of this option at the original check-up, I was very curious about it and a little hesitant. I am not a big fan of taking/giving medicine in general, unless it is an absolute necessity. So, I did tons of research on the drug they said they would give Gage and even watched the "funny" video on YouTube of the little boy who had been given this same sedation and seemed to act intoxicated. After all of this, even though I still had a few reservations, we decided it would probably be the best thing to do so Gage's little cavities didn't turn into big problems.
Oh boy. At the actual visit, the dentist decided a stronger sedative needed to be used as Gage is such an "active and strong" boy (her nice way of saying he was being a scared, stubborn pill!) Of course, this other sedative has not only stronger sedation qualities, but more extreme and longer lasting side effects. Great! Well, I made the executive decision to go ahead with it and paid for it dearly. Gage basically turned into a viral "mean drunk" for about 30 minutes before he chilled a little. He became very aggressive, hitting, biting, kicking, crying ... just being very mean ... all the while slowly losing control of motor functions. I'm not quite sure how he couldn't stand or sit on his own, but he could still flail and fight like a rabid dog, but he did. Once he finally calmed down enough that they could take him back to do the procedures, I was an emotional mess. It didn't help that I could hear him crying and hollering out in the waiting room. Needless to say, I shed some tears, too.
After all of that, he thankfully wore himself out and all of the cavities were filled, x-rays were taken, and flouride was applied. He then just wanted to cuddle and snuggle. I had hoped to take him back to his pre-school that afternoon, but the sedative was still way too present in his system. So, I attempted to take him to the office with me. It did not work out. It kind of reminded me of my bartending days and dealing with the drunks. At the bar, no matter how nicely, or how many times you would try to tell the customer to sit down and hush up before they hurt themselves or got into trouble, they would just keep on keepin' on with a fierce determination and a blankness in their eyes. This was my dear, sweet, little redhead. He wouldn't lay down and watch his movies for the life of him. He would stumble throughout the office, run into a wall here, fall down there, try to climb on chairs and visit with my boss. It would've been funny, if it wasn't so not funny. Thankfully, Corey was able to take the afternoon off and take care of him at home. The effects of the sedative bascially continued all through the evening, eventually taking on what I'm sure were almost "hangover-like" qualities, which the doctor had also warned us about. He was grumpy and irritable. He was demanding and ornery. He was docile one minute, then beligerant and bawling the next. He was also ravenous -- eating even more than usual -- a whole 6oz steak, a cup of noodles and green beans for supper. A little later a whole apple and an individual size bag of Doritos. A little while after that, 8oz of milk, a string cheese, some pepporoni slices and 1/2 an orange. Then still asking for more food when I put him to bed at 8:15. Ahhhhhhhhhh!
We're just praying that no more cavities show up in our kids -- ever! -- or at least until they are old enough to effectively cope with the situation without the use of sedation. I honestly never want to go through that again. I know that this isn't the way it typically turns out. I've even taked with a couple of friends and clients whose children went through it just fine and just acted silly through the ordeal. Oh, if only we had been that lucky! Oh well, I guess you live and you learn. I'm just so thankful that today my sweet-natured little goofball buddy is back instead of his Dr. Gagerstein alter ego. That guy was scary!!!!
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