Didn't Hurt a
Bit
by
Jeff Stimpson © 2007
Alex's previous dental appointments
included the doctor wrapping him in a papoose (a kind of zipped-up
sleeping bag for autistic kids who really can't take the exam), and,
needless to say, screaming. "Well," said that dentist, a sweet guy
named Lee, "at least when he screams it's easy to look in his
mouth." I liked Dr. Lee. He was the one who pointed out that we need
to switch toothpastes often because bacteria builds up immunity to
one brand. I did not know that.
There's a hitch at the door for this
day's appointment, which is with Dr. Lee's replacement who is also
named Dr. Lee. "Everyone's gone. She's not there anymore," the
receptionist tells Jill at 10 to five. Our appointment was for 4:30.
Would the new Dr. Lee like to know how many doctors have keep me
waiting a whole lot more than 20 minutes throughout Alex's lifetime?
"She said she called you," the
receptionist insists.
"She never did!" Jill replies.
We've brought Alex here today, Ned in
tow, because he's overdue for a checkup, and because he's been
grinding his teeth. Jill thinks Alex may be grinding his permanent
molars down to the gums. Jill thinks Alex may need caps. In those
earlier appointments of the papoose and the screaming, Alex was just
getting his teeth looked at. What's he going to do when they try to
wriggle caps onto his pulverized back molors? I should say here that
Alex has been a pretty cooperative tooth brusher since he saw that
dental segment of Elmo's; Elmo is the only person Alex really
listens to.
Jill, undaunted, vanishes through the
door that leads to the dental clinic. I read to Ned, then Alex and I
go to the bathroom, leaving Ned to watch mom's bag and also watch
the big autistic teenager who's flapping his hands a lot, waiting
for his own clinic appointment, and whom Ned will later confirm is
"sensitive like Alex." I have no doubt Jill will come back out with
at least an appointment, and sure enough it's only a minute or two
after Alex has flung open the bathroom door before I was finished
peeing that Jill appears at the inner-sanctum door and waves us all
in.
The new Dr. Lee is a sweet and small
woman who calls what happened at the front desk a "miscommunication"
as she guides us all into one of the exam rooms. Alex flies right
into the chair like, well, Ned, who loves coming to all types of
doctors because Ned believes that then people will think he's sick
and he can watch The Cartoon Network.
"Good job!" the new Dr. Lee tells
Alex in the chair. I prefer "nicely done" over "good job," but
otherwise this dentist does a heck of a good job herself. She calms
Alex, and even gets him to open his mouth, showing first his bottom
teeth and then his tops, with only minor shows of anxious curiosity
over the little round mirror thing. "Can I see the upper teeth?
Alex, can you go like this?"
Ned is behind Alex; I'm standing by
Alex's feet. "Ned," I say, content with myself as a father when I
can call Ned's name not for a scolding, but to help him learn
something cool. "Come over here and you'll get a better look ..."
Alex's patience with the new Dr. Lee
and with the round mirror thing seems to dry up then, and he clamps
his jaws shut. Then he starts to giggle and look around. Dr. Lee
seems charmed, and says Alex might benefit from "behavior
management," whereby he'd come to this office a few times a month,
sit in the chair, play with a toothbrush, giggle with the doctor,
and learn that the dentist isn't always the star of a papoosed
nightmare.
The doctor says Alex hasn't ground
his teeth dangerously low. "All kids grind their teeth. He grinds
his teeth!" she says, pointing to Ned.
Ned smiles. "Ned," I ask, "how often
does Alex grind his teeth?"
"Sometimes when he's watching TV,"
Ned says. "When can I go to the dentist?"
Dr. Lee gives Alex a toothbrush. We
say goodbye, and Jill is happy. Later, when I have a chance to think
about it, so am I. Finding a way through dental appointments is more
than life skill - it's a survival skill right up there with
toilet-training. The behavior management apparently starts soon
after Alex gets home: He goes to the bathroom and brings the
toothpaste into the living room, and shows his new toothbrush to
Elmo.
Copyright 2007 Jeff Stimpson, all rights reserved
