Steve took Rachel in for the tooth filling. She wasn't happy, but she allowed the dentist to clean out the tooth. But when it came time to fill it, she clamped her jaws shut and refused any further dental procedures. So, the dentist rescheduled her and gave her a prescription for valium. Surely that would do the trick.
I took Rachel back to the dentist, dosed with valium. She started crying before we walked in the door. We sat around waiting for the valium and nitrous oxide to kick in. They never did. Apparently, neither laughing gas nor valium have any effect on my 3 year old! Rachel eventually calmed down and happily explored every piece of equipment in the dentist office, but absolutely refused to open her mouth. The dentist commented, "She's strong willed, isn't she?" Um, yeah. We finally gave up and the dentist suggested we find a pediatric dentist who could sedate Rachel.
I started calling pediatric dentists, all of whom were in the city, an hour from our house. One dentist said she could get Rae in some time in March. Somehow, since she has a hole in her tooth, I thought that was a bit too late.
On Monday, I found a dentist that could work Rachel in. Today! I was shocked and quite relieved. It took a lot of paperwork and many phone calls, but we got everything in place. So, today was the big Dental Adventure Day. Since she was going to be put clear under with anesthesia, Rachel couldn't have anything but clear liquids to eat this morning. She couldn't believe her good fortune when I announced that she could have all the popsicles she wanted - for breakfast!
Rachel's surgery went beautifully, and it turns out that it was a good thing we'd brought her in. The dentist took x-rays and checked out her teeth. She had another cavity that needed filled. And while he was poking around, one of her molars cracked into pieces! It seems some of her molars are not properly formed and are really fragile. (Genes or maternal nutrition can have a huge impact on tooth formation - yet another reason that it is sad and frustrating to know nothing at all about my girls' birth parents.) So, a simple filling turned into a filling, 3 crowns, sealants, and flouride treatment. I am SO glad that Rachel could just sleep through all that!
After two hours in never-never land, Rachel woke up. She was happy and flirty and totally loopy. It was pretty funny to watch! She knew where she was and who everyone around her was. (One of the first things she said was "Hey, Dr. Mike!" But her words were slurred and she had no motor control. She has like a noodle, her balance was way off, her eyes were droopy, and she couldn't hold on to anything. She commented that she "must be dizzy". She remembered nothing at all of the surgery, was in no pain, and was convinced that "We only been here a little tiny while" instead of nearly 3 hours. Here is Granny and Rae in all her drugged glory.
