The Dreaded Dental Cleaning

Most of you know that I work in a dental office and have been doing so for close to 5 years now, with the exception of last year. I feel very comfortable in this particular setting...that is until I take Jacob in for a cleaning. He can get pretty freaked out by the entire process. Upon entering the waiting room his poor little body begins to shake like a leaf. He will not open his mouth upon request and has even bitten the hygienist's finger before and, yes, there was blood involved. One time, when we first visited a dental surgeon, the doctor actually performed his exam of Jacob's mouth on the floor because thats where Jacob was, shirtless I might add because the struggle to get Jacob to the exam room caused him to wiggle out of his shirt. (just wanted to clarify that Jacob was shirtless, not the doctor) I honestly laughed so hard at this experience upon leaving the office. It was quite humorous even though it was stressful.

I feel really sad for Jacob. I don't want him to be afraid. Even though I don't really know all that he's capable of understanding, its much more than I give him credit for. So, I talk to him in the car all the way to his appointments, explaining to him all that will take place. This really seems to help. Fortunately he CAN do very well depending on the day. There have been times when he has totally blown me away with his compliance and good behavior. Well, he has an appointment tomorrow for a cleaning, so lets hope he's having one of his good days, not so much for my sake, but for his.