Important Details to Know Before Pediatric Dental Surgery

I recently found out that my 6 year old daughter has a condition called "Shark Teeth."

As you can see from the picture above, Sharks are known for having more than one row of teeth.  When this occurs in humans, it is usually because adult teeth are growing in behind baby teeth and the baby teeth are not getting loose on their own. (I later found out that this is pretty common in children who experience special needs)

To make a long story short, my daughter had to have her 4 front bottom teeth extracted all at once.  THAT was her first "losing a tooth" experience!!

This mama was no less than DEVASTATED!!!  I had spent months planning how our family would welcome the Tooth Fairy and all of the precious traditions that we would start in order to ease the trauma of having wiggly teeth and then losing them. (Especially for a child who experiences sensory issues).

So, to be consistent with all the other things that are "A-typical" of our life, my daughter ended up having  major surgery at our local hospital and all four teeth were extracted (though she now insists she lost "a tooth"...and we allow her to believe that! ha!).

I learned a few things that day (and how to prepare for that day):

1.) Schedule your child's procedure to be the first procedure of the day.

• The reason for this is the child cannot have food or drink after midnight.  When kids first get up in the morning, they want to eat or drink.  If you are the first procedure, you can tell your child they can have breakfast after seeing the dentist.  (Or, as we communicated... "First see the dentist, THEN eat breakfast")

• The second reason is to avoid delays in the procedure.  If others are scheduled ahead of you, it is possible that due to unforeseen complications in their procedures, your child's surgery might be delayed (meaning a longer time for anxiety to build up, longer time to wait to eat/drink)

• Also, it will help if your child is relaxed from just waking from a full night's sleep.

• This (lack of delays in scheduling) also ensures you will get the anesthesiologist you were originally assigned.

2.) Talk with your doctor and anesthesiologist about the drug "Versed" to see if it would be an option for your child.

• This is the same drug that they often give to patients who will go through a colonoscopy.

• This drug calmed my daughter right down before surgery (making it so much easier to administer anesthesia).

• FYI--The drug is a liquid and it must not taste that great, because after they gave it to my daughter, she kept asking for water.  

• This drug is a quick acting drug. 

• The drug also helps with the recovery process.  My daughter was so calm in the recovery room and when we took her home. My child, who NEVER sleeps on her own, actually found her blanket and napped for 2 hours.

3.) Advocate to be assigned to an anesthesiologist who will allow you to remain with your child until your child is asleep. 

• In our hospital, there were over 30 anesthesiologists, but only 4-5 that allow parents to stay with children until they are asleep.

• My husband was allowed to suit up (in a paper suit), carry my daughter to the operating room and hold her while she "blew up the purple balloon" (they put a mask over her mouth and nose and when she breathed a purple balloon looking device inflated and deflated. This sedated her so they could then start the anesthesia via IV and she didn't feel a thing)

4.) Try to distract or re-direct your child from looking in the mirror for at least 24 hours after the procedure.

• Day one is rather a disturbing sight.  The "holes" are really red and sometimes blood filled.

• Day two is so much better, the redness and swelling have decreased significantly, and it is much less scary to look at.

5.) The night before surgery, dress your child in what they are going to wear to the hospital the next morning.   

• You can take your child straight from their bed to the car and avoid a lot of questions. 

• Doing so also gets you away from the refrigerator quicker.

6.) Pack a cup (no straws or sippy cups) and your child's favorite beverage in a thermos. Put them in the trunk or back of your vehicle (out of reach of your child).  Keep it in the vehicle until your child is in surgery.  

• Once your child is in surgery, go get the beverage and cup and have it ready for your child for when they wake up in the recovery room.  

• The hospital will have options to offer you, but your child will desire and feel so much better if they have their comfort beverage available to them.

7.) Be honest with your child, but DO NOT give your child too much information.

• My daughter is always asking "What's next?" she wants details.  So, what we told her was that we were going to see our friend, the Dentist, because he was going to help us make sure there would be enough room for her pretty big girl teeth to come in.  That information was just enough.

• DO NOT give the gory details of surgery, or a play by play of medical equipment, stitches and etc.

• DO tell children that medical professionals care about them and want to keep them safe.

8.) Present your Medical Professional in a positive light.

• We constantly tell our daughter that our medical professionals are our friends.  

• We always point out fun things about them.  "Our dentist is so nice, he sings to your teeth" (and we are fortunate, because he does sing to her teeth.  Our daughter is really big into numbers and counting, so he also will count her teeth to help calm her.)

• Also, when entering a strange room with lots of equipment and antiseptic smells, be sure to comment about how "cool" all that neat stuff is!

9.) Make sure mom and dad are at their best

• Line up support from family and friends to have a meal or two delivered so that you can focus on your child once you arrive home and even the night before (gift cards for ordering in work great too).  (It was hard and humbling, but I emailed my friends/family and flat out ASKED if any were available to provide a meal or gift card.  I am so thankful I did!!)

• Consider setting up a "Caring Bridge" site so you can keep all family and friends updated with one message (vs. sending 25)

• Pack a breakfast for you to eat after your child is in surgery (An amazing friend made us mini muffins to take with us. We kept them in the trunk with our daughter's drink and once she was in surgery, we retrieved them and renewed our energy.)

• Wear soft comfortable clothing that your child will want to cuddle against.

• If you normally wear perfume or cologne, wear it, but keep it light.  Your child will be able to recognize you by your scent before they are awake enough to see you.

• Bring a blanket from home (your child can use it before and after surgery and you can use it while they are IN surgery)

• Get a good night's sleep the night before.

10.) If your child experiences sensory issues (sensitivity to light or sound) you might choose to bring your child's sunglasses and ear muffs with you.  These came in very handy for us with my daughter- especially in the recovery room.

And a couple of bonus suggestions: 

** If your child experiences any allergies or sensitivities to anything, be sure to discuss this with your anesthesiologist and medical professional and make a plan in advance of anything happening.  For example: my daughter is terribly allergic to all adhesives - even if they are latex free.  The adhesive literally burns her skin and also makes her break out in a terrible rash.  We made an advanced plan that included what medications/creams to put on them and when to call the hospital if something serious were to occur.

**Be prepared for your child to come out of anesthesia in a very emotional way - usually, either angry or sad (crying).  (a friend of mine joked that how your child wakes up from anesthesia tells you what kind of drunk they will be someday- ha!).  In our case, because of the "Versed" calming drug, our daughter woke up and was just very quiet and calm.  However, many children around us were crying.  We actually had to leave early because all the crying was bothering our daughter.

**Know your hospital's policy and state law regarding extracted teeth.  In our case and in our state, the law considers teeth to be a "body part".  Every body part that is removed during surgery must go to the pathology lab.  However, if there is no decay/infection in the teeth, we may pick the teeth up once the lab has completed their tests/review.  (If there were to be decay in the teeth, they are then classified as a bio-hazard and cannot be returned to you.  In that case, have some white tic-tacs on hand to leave for the tooth fairy)  =0)

**If you are especially sentimental (like me) you might consider having your child's photo taken before their procedure (we did this the night before at our local photo center). Be sure to take your camera with you to your child's surgery. We captured many "fun"/memorable experiences (my husband sporting his paper outfit, pictures of doctor/anesthesiologist, how our daughter looked after surgery and in recovery, etc, etc)

I hope your child will never have to experience dental surgery, but I found that it was much easier once I knew what to expect. 

If your child has experienced dental surgery or other procedures, I'd love to know what other tips you have for parents or what policies your hospital or state implemented. I firmly believe that knowledge is information!!

Introducing Jesus: Resources to help grow your child's faith

My daughter recently informed my husband and me that God was "cross" (who says that word anymore?) with Wreck-It-Ralph. She told us that Ralph was wrecking God's creation and God was going to send an angel to help him STOP!

My husband and I got a good laugh out of her story.  We hooted even more a few days later when we were in a store with Kylie and a woman's voice came over the loud speaker. Our daughter jerked her head up, sucked in her breath and exclaimed "That's God's SISTER!!"

While Kylie's theology is obviously flawed, and we have LOTS of work to do to make sure she understands truth, we were thrilled that she is beginning to connect the spiritual dots, however squiggly the lines are right now.

As parents, we have an awesome and wonderful opportunity to introduce our children to Jesus. However, when you are a parent of a child who experiences special needs or who learns differently, this task can seem overwhelmingly difficult.

A good place to start would be to figure out what your child's learning style is. Is your child an auditory learner? A visual learner? A hands-on learner? Do they enjoy self-teaching? Do they learn better in a group or one-on-one? Does music help your child learn?

Once you know that piece, it is much easier to choose resources to help your child become acquainted with spiritual truths.

Here are a few resources that have really been helpful in our home:

*Bible Memory
-Scripture Lullabies:CD I discovered these recently and am so THRILLED by them.  They are an incredible way to learn scripture simply by listening to them as your child goes to sleep. The music is so beautiful and the lyrics come directly from God's Word.  (Volume 1 and Volume 2).  (on a side note: many parents have reported that after listening to these cds, their kids sleep better, night terrors cease to exist and they rest beautifully... because folks.. scripture does that.  The Word of God is alive and powerful!!)

-Hide 'em In Your Heart DVD/CD: This is an amazing DVD/CD set.  The fashions are a little dated, but the kids playing and colorful scenes are engaging for kids and adults alike. The tempo is upbeat and fun.  We really enjoy these for daytime viewing. (Volume 1 and Volume 2)

*Bible Stories (Reading)
-Read and Share Bible: This is my daughter's absolute favorite book. (We also LOVE the DVDs)  She takes it with her EVERYWHERE. She has read these stories to Buddhists, Hindus, Free Thinkers, and Muslims. (who said a 7 year old can't be a missionary?) The illustrations are colorful and exciting.  My only teeny tiny "negative" feedback is that my daughter often gets confused by the babies in the book.  The babies in different stories are illustrated the same so, because my daughter is a literal thinker, it took us a long time to convince her that the babies had not jumped into other stories of the book but that they each had their own name (and own parents). (For example: Kylie kept telling us that the baby Samuel was Ruth and Boaz's son... nope... the babies just look the same in the book.  Samuel's mommy is Hannah and Ruth and Boaz's son is Obed).  However, this is a miniscule complaint vs how much we LOVE this book and DVD set! Seriously, It is GREAT!

-The Jesus Story Book Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name: This is my absolute favorite book to read to my daughter.  The illustrations are not that engaging for children (in my opinion), so I choose to read this to Kylie at bedtime after she is already tucked into bed. The writing is amazing and I LOVE that every story circles back to Jesus and the Big Picture.  You aren't left wondering how it all fits together in the end.

*Bible Study/Devotions
-Word of Life Gopher Buddies Quiet Time: This is a quick daily devotional for you to do with your child.  Each lesson is short and sweet and gives them a hands on activity that requires zero prep. Kylie LOVES it.  (Also, the lessons are easily adaptable based on your child's abilities)

 -Keys for Kids: (online version or book version). This is also a favorite of ours. These are not as colorful, but the stories are captivating and so applicable to every day life. Plus, you can get the first book free or read online for free.(This website also shows the ABC's of salvation)

*Biblical Training/Discipline/Parental Guidance
-For Instruction in Righteousness: My absolute favorite resource.  Behaviors are listed topically (example: Anger, Pride, Friendship, etc) and each section is divided into: What the Bible says about this, What are the consequences if you Don't do as the Bible says, What are the blessings if you DO what the Bible says, Examples of Bible Characters who did and did not obey and what happened to them, practical ideas of object lessons and other helps for parents.  Much scripture is listed and reinforces that our children are to obey God's word (through parental instruction).

 This really helps our family reinforce that Kylie is not just disobeying/obeying us as her parents, but more importantly she is disobeying/obeying God.  It also gives us ideas of the GOOD things she is doing so we can reward and encourage her appropriately as we see these positive behaviors. I love that discipline is not just negative... but what it is SUPPOSED to be: Teaching and Training.

-The Child Training Bible: This website gives you a full tutorial, shopping list and tips on how to use the Child Training Bible.  While it is time consuming to put together, it is a great resource. You simply follow the tabs for scriptural helps to teach your child about that issue or concern in the Bible.  They also offer a Virtue Bible.

-The Five Love Languages of Children: This is an Amazing book for parents.  I can't say enough about it.  Knowing how to discern Love Languages is so important to every aspect of your life: Parenting, Work Relationships, Church Relationships and so much more.  It helps with every communication style. One of my favorite parenting books.

*Faith Based Toys
-There are so many to choose from... See this link for a big list.

Fisher Price Noah's Ark Play set

12 Disciples 

The spiritual training of children is an awesome responsibility and privilege. When you think that God placed your child specifically in your arms for such a time as this... well, it is overwhelming to think any of us could ever do a good enough job. But the amazing thing is... God knew we could never do it alone.

 In Matthew 19:26, Jesus said "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Luke 1:37 reminds us that "NOTHING is Impossible with God."

(Enjoy this sample song from Scripture lullabies: "Everything is Possible")

God has promised to be with us EVERY step of the way.  He will give us just what we need in the moment to do HIS perfect will.

You CAN do it and you can do it WELL.

While I know the resources available are many, I hope some of these particular resources will be helpful to you!  I'd also love to hear what other resources you have found valuable. I hope you will share by commenting below.