teeth

Anya had her first two fillings yesterday.  That isn't really something to be proud of, yet she is happy to tell just about anyone she sees about it.  Her teeth have been watched closely for nearly two years now, as there is speculation damage was done during chemotherapy.  She had some staining and then early cavities, which were enough to have her seen every three months and use an extra fluoride toothpaste.  We knew all along that fillings were an inevitability, but our aim was to get her to an age when she could do it in the chair and not under anesthesia.

Back in September when she was getting her check-up, I saw the dentist's explorer stick in her tooth just a little longer than usual, and I knew her time had come.  He had found two cavities that needed to be filled.  Then he told us about treating them with laser, and that is what Anya had done yesterday.

The dentist used the laser for two minutes over her tooth to numb it, then used the laser at closer range to get the decay out.  Total time for each tooth was less than three minutes.  He then painted the filling on and she was good to go.  For Anya, the hardest part was having hands in her mouth.  She never felt pain and she needed no shots.  For me, the best part was no anesthesia.  She needs to have one more filling in a couple weeks' time, but she is quite content to go back and see her dentist, who is quickly becoming her favorite doctor.