A few months ago we noticed a lump growing on Tab’s hard palate. X-Ray revealed an extra tooth. This was far better than the lump being a tumor, or even her regular adult tooth growing in so far back.
Wednesday morning she and I went to the oral surgeon for an extraction. Because of its location we were told the procedure would include pulling the two front baby teeth, then slicing open the skin on the roof of her mouth and pulling out the extra permanent tooth. Then she would have a few stitches.
Her analgesia was inadequate. The gas they gave her barely touched her senses and she wriggled in pain through the novocain injections. He gave more and more and she didn’t respond well. He pulled out the first baby tooth. I was shocked that she bucked at all; she has had other teeth pulled without so much as a flinch, as have Stewart and Marie. This oral surgeon’s pain control techniques are not as good as their primary dentist. Thankfully, not only had I not been asked to leave the room, I was encouraged to hold her hands and arms to comfort her. Turns out I even had to lie on her legs a bit. As he was pulling the second tooth, which based on our plan, I thought was her other baby tooth, she responded by arching her back and crying out. I was steeling myself to interject, “If she is having this much trouble with the baby teeth, how in the world will she tolerate the cutting for the extra tooth?” Just then, the tooth he was working on came out – he had gone after the permanent tooth. It was exposed enough it did not require cutting. THANK YOU, LORD.
Since that one was out, I reckoned the worst was over and the second baby tooth would be a breeze. It wasn’t quite a breeze, but it only took a few seconds. He did give her two stitches as her mouth had gaping holes.
After they left the room, I presented her with a new SuperGrover doll that I had bought her at Sesame Place just for this occasion. We soon headed home and dealt with her recovery. It was ugly. She was miserable for a few hours. She watched a movie on the portable DVD player in Daddy’s bed.
She ate about 90 minutes afterward. As John said, “Finally, a meal she didn’t complain about.”
But I, I mean SHE, endured it and was swimming two hours later.
Wanna see the teeth?
This is the first baby tooth.
This is the second baby tooth – the last one pulled.
THAT monster is the one that was in the roof of her mouth!
Crazy.
Dayspring Disciples 