It is official…the dentist is worse than having cancer!
Peyton’s comment while leaving the dentist’s office today was, “This is my worst day I ever had.” Really? The fluoride treatment was that much worse than being hospitalized with oozing sores and getting bone marrows? I guess it’s a good thing that once it’s past she doesn’t think about it.
Nathaniel and Rachael both had fantastic visits, all clear on the cavity front with glowing reports on how well they’re brushing. Peyton had a less than stellar report.
She has 6 cavities. 6 cavities! Her teeth are the size of chicklets and they are rotting out of her head. The dentist told me that it has nothing to do with her binky and everything to do with chemotherapy. In no uncertain terms, the body can only deal with so many issues and she said that what they see with cancer patients is that the teeth are always the first to suffer. Her teeth are just weak, no amount of brushing has put a dent in the damage the meds have taken on her chompers. The dentist is very concerned to see what her permanent teeth will look like when they come through, the chemo and the radiation can do a serious number on those that are trying to form and they end up all WRONG. Each child reacts differently, the body handles the chemicals differently and she’s had a lot of it.
The dentist won’t do anything for her cavities, she either wants for the oncologist to make a decision between having the procedures done at the hospital to safeguard against infection or to see if it should wait until end of treatment to take care of them.
The dentist was kind enough to drop a few bombs on me today. She asked if we’d ever been told that if Peyton’s ANC is below 500 that we shouldn’t brush her teeth with a toothbrush, just sort of wipe them clean. Big fat no! Never heard that one. Peyton did have to take a monster dose of Amoxicillan before her appointment to ward off infection, but the dentist did make sure I knew that she was risk for fatal infections from dental procedures. Please don’t use those words so nonchalantly. “Fatal infections” just isn’t a phrase we need to toss around, you know? I was really starting to feel like this dentist appointment was not something I wanted to do, but I still let them do her x-rays, cleaning, fluoride treatment and then checking the condition of the teeth.
Cleaning was ok, x-rays were standard, I already told you about the condition of her teeth…but the fluoride treatment was what set her off. She cried while they applied it, hated the taste and started throwing up as soon as we got home. Poor kid threw up that fluoride for a couple of hours.
We are getting the older two kids all packed up and ready to head off to camp from Wednesday to Saturday! The kids are all excited for so many different reasons…Nathaniel for the freedom of an all guy cabin, Rachael loves the girly giggly time and Peyton just wants them to leave.
It’s starting off to be a fun summer!
f.r.o.G….fully relying on God
–Anissa
