Trip to the dentist

On Monday I took Ivan to the dentist. It was his first dental appoitnment.

The night before and that morning, we talked about going to the dentist, what the dentist was going to do and how ivan will need open his mouth to give dentist a big aaa.

What a disaster. We got there. The waiting room was fine. It was a typical large dental practice, with Mickey posters on the wall and scooby doo playing on the tv

Instead of individual rooms, the examing area was one big , bright open space with several dental chairs.

The technician led us to one chair. Ivan sat down while stood next to him. The techician, a nice middle-aged woman, asked him to open his mouth so she could count his teeth. She showed him the tool she would use . He obliged and opened his mouth. Success.

Then she put some red dye on a qtip to put on his teeth so they could check for cavities. He wouldn't open his mouth. She drew a smiley face with it on a paper towel to show him. Nope. He was done. " I want to go home , " he said and wiggled out of the chair. And that was it. No way he was going to sit back in.
He started throwing a temper tantrum. I felt like everyone in the room was watching us. All I could hope for that they see this type of behavior on regular basis.

Then the dentist came, a young nonthreatening looking woman.

He wouldn't open his mouth for her, nor was he going to sit back in the chair.

So I had to sit in the chair, have him straddle me in my lap, and tilt him backwards so that the dentist could peak in his mouth while a technician was standing ready to take notes.

No cavities that she could glimpse from peaking into his mouth for literally a second.

Cleaning his teeth was out of question.

I thought Ivan would do well at the dentist although I'm not sure where I got that thought considering that he is a willful three year old. I took him to the dentist with me last summer so I though he'd know what he was in for.
They asked whether we brush his teeth, etc. All the typical dental hygene questions I knew we would get.
I did admit that he drinks milk before he goes to sleep after we brush his teeth.

I got scolded for doing so and shown photos of a kid's rotten black teeth, just like those I've had nightmares about.

Ivan got a goody bag, which contained a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and some other trinkets.

The technician suggested we continue brushing his teeth like we've done so far but also to rebrush teeth in bed with the dry toothbrush after he finishes his milk and after story time.

I tried that tonight and it worked.