Healthy Smiles – FAIL

It’s official. The National Society of Pediatric Dentistry will never present me with the mother of the year award. Instead, I am pretty sure I just made their version of the no fly list. Five cavities in Alex’s little mouth. Two so severe the teeth need to be pulled. One caused an infection in his gums. And I asked the stupid question of “what might have caused this?” Dr. Connie’s polite, yet condescending response, was, “ irregular cleanings and checkups; poor brushing habits; and too many sugars and sweets.”

You don’t have to be a genius or dental hygienist to connect the dots and see who is ultimately responsible for managing those areas. Me (and Andy). Sure, Alex sneaks fruit snack (and candies) when I am not looking. He also strongly (and loudly) boycotted the x-ray machine at his last trip to the dentist And he does more sucking than brushing if I don’t hover like a hawk. But he is six. Who can blame him?

So today I am now asking myself why? What was I thinking? With the time and attention I give to everything else related to physical care and appearance, why did I get lazy when it came to their smiles. And I am saying “their” smiles, as I might as well bring Avery in the conversation – no cavities yet, but her visit isn’t until next week.

Is it because I knew they were baby teeth and not meant to last? Is it because I spend too much time in their ear with a Q-tip that I overlook the mouth? Is it because I am on ebay shopping for Ralph Lauren clothes (thinkin the Pony is going to cover up tooth decay)? Is it because we attempt to brush teeth during the most hectic (and uncontrollable) times of the day – ten minutes before the bus and ten minutes before bed? Brushing their teeth is one of 100 tasks that need to be done to get to school on time, which means my focus is elsewhere and there is no time to stand and be a good coach. Brushing their teeth is one of 100 tasks to get to bed on time, which means my focus is minimal and I can’t even notice if the toothpaste made it on the brush or just on the bathroom floor. Guess it is all about re-focusing for me. And finally throwing away the bowl of Halloween candy. And setting the timer for two minutes while they brush – and watching them brush! And no more Star Wars fruits snacks. Alex cried at this revelation, which is strange because he didn’t even flinch when I told him two of his teeth would be gone by noon today.

So this is a moment where I truly feel like I failed my son. He will be knocked out cold in a sterile dental chair in two hours for an oral surgeon to remove the evidence of my wrong (or lack of) doing. FAIL. But not sure that word is strong enough. And I will definitely have more to report on this matter later …