Dental Visits

OMG!  I’ve been taking Puppy to the dentist since March of 2011.

*March 22 – Dentist suggests Puppy get braces but his office doesn’t handle the red tape that goes with Medicaid so he sends us to find another dentist who does

*August 4 – Initial evaluation, impressions and pictures on file

*August 18 – Letter giving notice that braces were approved by insurance

  

*September 6 – Spacers were put in

*September 8 – More impressions made

*September 28 – Braces were put in place on upper teeth (navy blue bands)

*October 10 – Dental appliance was to be placed but 2^nd doctor wanted approval for optional appliance, needed to clear insurance.  New wire and bands replaced (navy blue bands)

            

*October 11 – Wire was causing discomfort, took him back in the morning to fix wire

        

*November 15 – Still no dental appliance cleared. New wire and bands replaced (black bands)

*January 5 – Appliance not cleared, going back to square one and making impressions for original appliance to be made out-of-town

*February 7 – Finally had the appliance put in.  It’s ugly, we both cried to have it removed, but no one listened  :(    Wire from braces removed, but bands replaced (silver bands)

*February 8 – Went back in the morning to have a screw and arm reset and tightened all screws on appliance

Puppy is angry now, very angry; he hates me for putting him through this.  He doesn’t understand the whole process and I can’t explain it well enough for him to accept the torture he’s going through.  He can’t control his drool, can’t eat or drink normally anymore.  It’s difficult for him to take his pills because they either get stuck on the appliance or simply don’t flow with the water.  I have him drinking out of a straw to put suction force to help the pills go down, but he hates it. All his food is getting stuck all over because he can't chew well with the flat bar that goes across the top pallet, but not touching the pallet so food gets stuck, and his tongue can function like it should.  He sounds like Daffy Duck.  He hates it all. He's having tantrums in the morning because he wakes up reminded of the painful silver crap in his mouth. I’m a bad mom for making him go through this.  I have nine brothers and sisters, none of us ever had braces or other crap in our mouths and we’re fine, most of us, lol.  Maybe I should have left it all alone. He was able to eat and drink just fine.  Ugh!  I hate this, too.