tooth hurty

Dear Marianne,

I've been very worried about Mike's teeth. He is four and already two of his teeth have gone rotten, another two are on the way, one of them is a front tooth. Mike is my fifth child and they have all had their share of bad for you sweets, chocolate and fizzy drinks - but none of them have lost their milk teeth and although the older ones have fillings this is a rare thing. So what's going on with Mike?
Well, apparently nothing I can do anything about. I took him back to the dentist that had kind of told me off about his, then, one bad tooth. I shuffled in waiting to be branded a bad mother, even though I had been brushing Mike's teeth to within an inch of their life and had banned apple juice and sweets since our last visit.

However, the dentist told me not to worry, that there was nothing I could do, that the second teeth would be fine and that the health of the milk teeth seems to depend on the physical make-up of the child. If I wanted an analogy, he said, then imagine a person who smokes 40 cigarettes a day and lives to a ripe old age and next door someone who has smoked rarely but dies early of lung cancer. I didn't want an analogy, certainly not that one thanks; I was so thrown by this I thought I might have my first ever cigarette there and then.

After the condescending smiles, the sighs, the inappropriate analogies and Winnie the Pooh stickers, I was ready to leave, but Michael wasn't. He had brought Ollie Dog along to the dentist (Ollie dog is named after a friends dog - which is barely alive, despite living on a diet more rich in vitamins, minerals etc. than his owners get - don't tell her I told you, but his food comes with rice and peas...)and Ollie hadn't had his teeth checked yet. So, having already be transformed into an over-indulgent Mother, my fate was sealed by my request for Ollie Dog to sit in the chair and have his turn. To his credit, the big, burly dentist obliged and gave Ollie's teeth the once over with mirror and sharp pointy thing - Michael looked on enthralled and very pleased - Ollie got a sticker on his head and we left.

Outside, I was so relieved, that I could have danced in the street, yes Mike's teeth are falling out, but it's not my fault - I am still a good Mother. Hurrah! We went to town for chocolate cake and coke, well we were celebrating weren't we...



Rx