Caps, crowns and fillings, oh my!

Well, Hot Rod came through his dental procedure like a champ. He is such a strong, healthy boy and it makes me so happy. So sad that his teeth were in such bad shape. Between his incredible sweet tooth and me letting him brush his own teeth, I think he was doomed from the start. Stinkerbelle will have the cleanest teeth of any 2-year-old to save from doing this again. We did it with Pickle when he was 3 1/2. Maybe by Child No. 3, I'll learn. I know it is AoD's dream that I do.

Anyway. We had to be at the pediatric outpatient clinic at 7:30. He was back and in surgery about 8:40 a.m. The place was great. The nurse let him play with the little finger clippy thing that checks pulse and oxygen as well as the blood pressure cuff. He took his penguins and his little McDonald's neopets and was having a grand time. He was stoked that the tooth fairy was coming tonight. He got his "giggle juice" and drank it and he started getting a big woozy, then the anesthesiologist took him back to "blow up a balloon" for her. After that, they did the IV in his foot and put a tube down his nose so the dentist could work in his mouth.

Hot Rod had one tooth pulled and a spacer put in its place. Apparently that molar doesn't come in until a kid is about 10, so the spacer will be pulled out before that. Without the spacer, that permament tooth wouldn't have a place to go, the dentist said. He had seven root canals and crowns or caps and a couple of fillings. He has more silver in his teeth than Jack Sparrow has in his treasure chest. But, he is doing ok. He was looking pretty sad at first. Poor baby.

He has eaten three bowls of cereal since we've gotten home. So, I think he is doing pretty well. He hates medicine, so I've sneaked some children's Tylenol into his kool-aid and he's been sipping it. I hope that helps. The dentist gave us an Rx for tylenol with codeine, but I'm going to try and avoid getting it for him. Don't want to drug him up. He seems to be doing well. The dentist said he didn't really numb it too much for fear he might hurt himself messing with his teeth. So, hopefully he tolerates it ok.

Here is he this morning before we went in:

And, here he is in the car after the surgery with his Koala from the nurse's Bear Box. He thinks it is cool. He's a bit swollen here and still groggy from anesthesia.

He's watched Space Jam between bowls of cereal. Now, he and mom are going to have "movie day" with Shrek 2 in my bed (which is the mattress and box springs in the family room/office while the bed is laying broken and awaiting repair in my bedroom). Whitetrashy, but convenient.