mommy fail moment

My daughter went to the dentist for the first time last month.  She had a cleaning.  She is four.

I thought four was a good age to start going to a dentist. I mean, these teeth are all gonna fall out anyway, right?  They're not that important. Right?  We've been flossing and brushing since the pearly whites started poppin out of her gums, so it should all be good... right?

Well, at that appointment they located a cavity.  A CAVITY!?  I had noticed this small dark spot on the right back molar, but I thought it was something I just couldn't brush off her tooth.  I did begin to suspect as it stayed and stayed that it might be something more, so that's one of the things that made me take her to the dentist, and I guess it's glad I did.  They told me she had a cavity!

Well, today, I took her back to have it filled.  They took another x-ray, a better one, and found that the cavity was very deep and probably involved the root :-(  So she had to have a root treatment and crown!

I couldn't believe it!  I'm still in shock!



I look at this picture and just want to cry!  Surely she wouldn't have had to endure this if I'd been taking her the dentist long ago - turns out they recommend bringing in the child starting at age 1.  If I had just gotten her in sooner like when I first saw the little something on her tooth.

And I guess we indulge in a little more chocolate than the average family...



making brownies
 But, hey, what can I say... we love chocolate, my daughter and I.

Anyway, the dentist and others say I shouldn't beat myself up about this, but I can't help it.  I feel like dirt!  Even though she went through the whole procedure like a champion - so the dentist tells me cause they wouldn't let me back with her - even though that's the case and she came out of the procedure room smiling, laughing, talking up a storm... I hate it.  I hate that she had to endure that.

I hate it.