At her last check up (18 months), Caroline’s pediatrician mentioned that she should see a dentist before age 2. All of her baby teeth (16!) were in and the next step would be the 2-year molars. So I added it to the “to do before baby” list and there it sat.

Finally I bit the bullet, made an appointment for a kiddie dentist down the hall from her pediatrician, and set out filling in the online forms. One question (and I kid you not) was “Do you floss your child’s teeth daily?”

All for honesty, I wrote “NO. SHE IS ONE.”

A secondary box popped up: “Why not?”

I wrote in, “SEE ABOVE. SHE IS ONE.”

The big day arrived unexpectedly when Caroline had to be home from daycare and the dentist office could fit her in. A win-win for me since I was already home! I got her all decked out for the big event. She looked skeptical.

The ensemble included her brand new “bus” shoes. She calls these “bus shoes” because the side has a picture of a little red wagon (which to her looks like a bus) and off we went. Aren’t these the cutest?!?

We headed into the office, right down the hall from the pediatrician.

Caroline had to wait only a few minutes in their adorable, kiddie-friendly waiting room before they called her back and she got to meet Ms. Valerie, who plopped her right into the big chair and said, “we’re going to brush your teeth!”

Caroline couldn’t resist turning around to see what Ms. Valerie was up to. Nosy! And curious.

Ms. Valerie whipped out some shades to shield Caroline’s eyes from “Mr. Sunshine.” Mr. Sunshine is the overhead lamp, in case you were wondering 🙂

Ms. Valerie showed Caroline how she was going to tickle her teeth with a toothbrush. She showed her how it would feel (using her fingers) and Caroline laughed and squealed.

Then Ms. Valerie got down to business, after I told her Caroline would like the watermelon flavored toothpaste the most!

The whole cleaning took maybe 10 minutes and Caroline was good as gold. Calm, still, relaxed–she didn’t make a peep. Everyone was impressed (maybe I was the most). Then Doctor Angela came in and took a peek and pronounced her teeth healthy and cavity-free!

Caroline was rewarded with a trip to the sticker bin, the Treasure Chest, and the bouncy ball machine. She also got toothpaste and a Winnie-the-Pooh toothbrush. But most importantly, we walked out with this certificate! Which is of course going in her “Achievements” keepsake album.

Congrats Sugar Bear on a great first trip to the dentist! Cheers to many more great checkups!