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Posted by Lisa Hendey in Health on Monday, June 27, 2011 11:57 AM
Today, my sixteen year old Adam has a routine dentist appointment. He’s capable of driving himself to see our awesome family dentist, but for some reason I still feel compelled to accompany him, to sit with him in the waiting room, and to hear the report that “no cavities” mean he’s been brushing and flossing (well, probably not flossing…).
While there, I’m supposed to schedule an appointment for our nearly 20 year old Eric between his trip to Russia and his return to college.
Thinking about these “mom duties” for my maturing boys/men makes me wonder when their teeth will stop feeling like part of my job.
I received a partial answer to my question this morning while sitting at the breakfast table with my own mom and my five year old nephew. Little Patrick was taking apart a lego set to rebuild it, and was frequently using his little teeth to pull the pieces apart. “Stop using your teeth to do that job, Patrick” Nana cautioned. “You will crack your teeth.”
So Nana is 70+ and still worrying about other people’s teeth - perhaps it’s my fate for life as a mom, in the same way I worry about the state of their souls…
I’d like to know from you what your tooth care duties entail and when you have hit dental benchmarks around your home. When do you expect kids to brush and floss on their own and without reminder? Is a lost tooth a major celebration or simply no big deal? Do you moms of adults still worry to yourself when you see your sons’ smiles? Is there hope that I can ever—one distant day—only worry about my own teeth?
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I was going to answer, “When they have wives to take over the worrrying” but then I realized that *I* don’t schedule my husband’s dentist appts. His mother, on the other hand, constantly nags him about this sort of thing. So I am hands-off with it. Glad your boys’ teeth are doing well! Dental work is no fun.
I am not sure how long I will be concerned about my children’s teeth, but here’s a backwards sort of view on it: last month, I, at the age of 39, was told I have my FIRST ever cavity! The first thing I did when I got home was to call my mother to lament the fact that my “perfect” teeth have now lost that title!! Before my appt to have said cavity filled, I again called my mommy to tell her how scared I was about this appt! People, I have give birth to 7 babies—and I was petrified to have this one little cavity filled! My mom made sure to call me later to check how her “baby girl” was doing! So, I don’t think worrying about your kid’s teeth (and the kid needing mom!) ever ends!!!!
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