A "Dream Patient" with a Fat Lip

Well, Jasmine's dentist appointment to get her two cavities filled was yesterday. I must admit, leading up to it, I was a little apprehensive about the whole ordeal. I was worried that she would have a miserable experience and lose her excitement over going to the dentist in the future. Fortunately, I was completely wrong. Right before she went in to see the dentist, I told her that they were going to give her a shot in her mouth so she wouldn't feel any pain. Instead of worrying her, I think that made her even more excited. Weird, I know... but a blessing. After she got settled into her chair, she got shot up with some novicane. She didn't budge. While waiting for it to kick in, Jasmine was commenting on how funny it felt. When the dentist came back in to check on her, she said "Thankyou for getting my teeth shot!" That got a chuckle out of the dentist, and he said "That's the first time I've ever been thanked by a 5-year old for that, and it will probably be the last." Jasmine did everything that the dentist asked her to do, and everything went quickly and smoothly. The dentist told me that Jasmine was a "dream patient," wishing that every child... or patient in general.... behaved as well as she did while in the chair.

The fat lip came after. The dentist told me that kids tend to chew on their lips when they're still numb, and that I should watch her to make shure she didn't do this. All the way home (well, first to McD's to get some free yogurt parfaits that they gave us coupons for), I kept telling her not to chew on her lip. Within five minutes of getting home, though, she came up to me and told me she had an owie on her lip. And there you have it... a big fat lip with some chew marks on the inside. I don't know if she did it in the car or waited till we got home, but it sure looked icky. I tok the picture today, and it doesn't look QUITE as bad as it did yesterday. I still have to remind her now and then not to chew or suck on it, though. I'm hoping that after a few good nights of sleep with no chewing, along with minimal chewing during the day, it will heal soon. Meanwhile, she still loves the dentist and is already looking forward to her next visit in the fall.