The weather forecast for today said it would be fucking miserable. And really, it was, fucking miserable. It rained non-stop, the wind was so strong, and it was freezing! Yet, I dragged Little Bambi and my mother with me on the train at 7am to the city. I put on the thickest jacket for Little Bambi, along with a beanie to cover her head. We arrived at my office before 8am, and they waited for me in the foyer, while I was upstairs trying to do a bit of work. Then at 9am, we hopped on a tram to our regular dentist for Little Bambi's appointment on Collins Street.
Once she was lying down on the chair, she watched The Secret Life of Pets from the ceiling. The dentist put on a small mask on her nose for the happy gas, and she was breathing it in, cool as a cucumber. I, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck. The minute I saw the needle for the local anaesthetic, I was dying. And it was not even for me. The dentist asked her to put her hands below her bottom, which she did, and then the anaesthetic was injected to her upper jaw. The dentist did one filling first, then she found a second gap next to the tooth, and asked for my permission to do the second one. Believe me, when your child has a tube attached on her nose (that connects to a gas tank) with a numb face, lying next to a dentist, with dental instruments attached to her hands, asking if they can also fill the second hole, my options are... wait, there are no options. The procedure took forever... I could not bear it, yet Little Bambi stayed calm, happily watching TV on the ceiling. After 45 minutes, we were done, and I was so relieved. She sat up, saying she felt funny in her face. The dentist told her that her teeth and cheeks were having a bit of a rest.
We walked out of the dentist, with a $610 bill. It certainly was the most expensive 45 minutes I've ever paid for 4.5 year old kid. Ever. Our private health covered more than half of the bill, but still, I had to pay $250. Immediately after that, I walked both mum and Little Bambi to Flinders Street station, said goodbye, where they went back home in the cold rain, and me back to work. My mum had a lunch appointment after that, so she dropped Little Bambi off to childcare. I was so worried about Little Bambi, fearing that she would start feeling some pain as the anaesthetic wears off. However, she went back to childcare surprisingly, happy, pain free, and not even remembering she went to the dentist. Everyone tells me how expensive this place is, which I am aware of, yet I think it was worth my money if she walks out without being scarred from a terrible dentist experience.
I still remember when I was a kid, my dad would hold my hand, while a dentist extracted a tooth, or install braces. But today, this kid, was the bravest kid I know. I love her so much.
