As I read some information about February being National Children’s Dental Health Month, I thought back to Ryan’s introduction to his dentist, Dr. Garcia. Dr. Garcia is a pediatric dentist and I had heard many families speak highly of him in the past, so I knew Ryan was in the right hands in selecting him for his dentist. Dr. Garcia’s office is very child-friendly and welcoming to both parents and children who might otherwise be anxious about their dental appointment. Over and above the physical environment, all of the staff are exceedingly kind and gentle.
Ryan’s first visit went well and I knew I had made the right selection. We kept our twice a year schedule and over the years got to know Dr. Garcia and his staff very well. There were never issues, except one morning when Ryan was about seven years old. We had a challenging morning, and Ryan was agitated. I didn’t want to cancel the appointment at the last minute, so we went and I alerted Dr. Garcia of our difficulties. The appointment went fine, until… Dr. Garcia had his fingers in Ryan’s mouth for the examination and Ryan closed his mouth – hard! I think that action surprised Dr. Garcia more than it hurt him, however I was embarrassed and displeased with Ryan’s actions. That afternoon, Ryan and I discussed his behavior: why he did what he did, and what would be the consequence. Ryan decided he wanted to write a note of apology to Dr. Garcia. He did and we delivered it to his office the next day and apologized.
Many years later, Dr. Garcia pulled this letter from his file and we smiled and thought how far Ryan had come over the years. Despite Ryan’s age, Dr. Garcia still welcomes Ryan in his practice. Erie, PA is so fortunate to have a man of Dr. Garcia’s expertise!
I did some research on activities to do at home or at school for dental month and wanted to share them with you. Enjoy!
Activity Sheets:
All About Autism 