First real visit to Dentist

Mummy, please take a photo for me!

With my SIL’s recommendation, I finally make time to book Samuel’s first dental appointment. And of course, it helps a lot with cousin Sophia telling Samuel about her regular dental checks. Apparently she might have even mentioned that’s how she got her dragon teeth. Funny! Samuel has then been bugging me about going to Sophia’s dentist.

When Samuel was much younger, I recalled bringing Samuel to Q&M dental clinic at City Square. (It’s one of those panic sessions after my dad claimed that Samuel might have speech impediment as a result of short tongue. ) But usually I preferred not to go to one of those chain practices (along with raffles medical etc). So as much as the dentist was really nice and good in handling Samuel, I did not make a return visit. Besides. I want to make Samuel’s first visit as memorable as possible. Obviously, another added advantage is the fact that Oral Care Centre at Novena Medical Centre is close to home.

When we were walking to the clinic, Samuel in his usual lazy mood was chanting that he is tired and that he wants to be carried. The moment he saw the huge playroom with extensive toys from the entrance, he run into the clinic like an re-energised bunny. There and then he forgot about the reason why he was there and even needed to be coaxed out of the room when it was his turn.

I was impressed with Dr Ng Jing Jing who even bother to dress up in her cutest outfit with colourful cartoon characters like owls. I guess it makes the dentist less intimating to the kids. And it seems she is a cat lover just like me. All that cat paintings in the dental room cheered up the atmosphere and makes the usual white dental room fun. Honestly I hesitated whenever I have to go to the dentist every 6 months. Even to me, this whole experience was refreshing even to me. I won’t mind going to a fun, colourful dentist if they have my toys too. Too bad it says ‘For children only’ at the reception area.

Samuel need little persuasion to sit on the rocket seat aka dentist chair while we watched him from the bay window seats with cushions. Although he was a little too short to be able to rinse his mouth, he actually allowed them to check his tooth and managed survived the whole polishing ordeal. The dentist seems impressed that he was able to talk so much and that we have already been brushing his teeth. To think that we used to worry that he doesn’t talk well. 😛 But despite all that good oral habits, such as no bottle feeding since 18 months, stopping him from taking too much sugars, he had a little cavity on his front tooth. The dentist has confirmed that he has too tight spacing at his lower jaw area. In another word, it looks like he might need braces when he’s 14. Before then, I have to put in more efforts to floss his teeth to make sure they can last before the adult tooth are in.