ANSWERS!!!!!!!

This week has been a pretty big one (and I'm only half-way through it...).
We'll be in a doctor's or dentist's office every single day this week.  Every. Single. Day. 


Monday, was the B-rox's ENT appointment.  To get some help.
Here's the low-down.  His tonsils are huge - even when he's not sick.  When he gets sick, they get bigger - and that's dangerous.

After giving the rundown to the doc, (he chokes on them when he lays flat, talks around them, mouth breaths... etc.)
She asked a couple of questions:
" Does he use an inhaler?"
"Does he constantly clear his throat?"
"Does he have problems with his teeth?"
"Is he really energetic?"
Yes. YES. YES!!!!!  HELL YESS!!!!!

Here's the run-down:
It looks like his "wheezing" may actually be trying to breath around his tonsils when they're irritated.  Not his lungs.
His throat clearing isn't actually an asthmatic cough - it's him choking on his tonsils.  Even when he's awake.
His teeth problems are because he mouth breaths SO much, his saliva is thick, thick thick - which isn't doing it's job of protecting his teeth.
And, apparently the fighting with his tonsils to breath, eat, sleep and what not makes him tired.  So he compensates by being "High energy".  Which, in my dictionary means "crazy as shiz".

I have never, ever been so happy to think about one of my kids going under the knife.  According to the doctor - this should solve SO many of his problems.  SOOOOO many.  I'm stoked.
Answer numero uno. 

Yesterday was a visit with his dentist.  Six months ago, we took him in and discovered his mouth was really unhealthy.  Since then he's been in three times to fix teeth, (baby root canals, crowns, etc.) which was really depressing to me.  [Mom fail... or so I thought].  That first day, I heard an earful from Mr. Dentist man.
He compared me to a mother who put Karo syrup in her kid's bottle of pepsi - because pepsi wasn't sweet enough.
Also, with the mother who let her kid eat as much candy as she wanted - and didn't bother with tooth brushing.
Just for the record - I've been brushing B's teeth since he got them - at three months.  Also, we don't keep soda in the house - and the only candy currently in my house is my "sanity stash".  Which is chocolate.  No, I don't share it.
He also informed me that nursing at night is very detrimental to a baby's mouth.
Uhm, show me the mom who brushes her baby's teeth after a 2am feeding.  Show her to me so I can punch her for trying to be all perfect-y.  


I left bawling.  I felt like the biggest failure in the world.  But promised Mr. Dentist man I'd bring Braxton back, and follow his EVERY instruction.
So, for the last six months Braxton has been flossing which honestly - feels like a waste of time because none of his teeth even touch eachother!  Using a flouride rinse, and he no longer brushes his own teeth.  Hubs and I have completely taken over.

Well, about two months ago, his teeth turned brown.  Like Britain in the 80's brown. Like, he looks like George Washington with wooden teeth brown.  Muy disgustado! 

So, I scheduled his cleaning and had the hygienist make a note about my concern over this.

The report from the hygienist:
Apparently I need to brush his teeth every day, floss and use a mouthrinse.
The two spots that just needed a sealant now need root canals and crowns.
I also need to stop the daily candy and soda intake.

Uhm... WTF????

Just so you all know - telling your dentist that you don't let your kids have soda and candy on an anything close to regular basis - is futile.
Yes, he eats A LOT of sugar.  On a daily basis he'll eat a banana, apple, orange, kiwi - or bowl of berries.  He eats a fruit with both breakfast and lunch - and his snacks.

So, I asked to speak with Mr. Dentist man in person.  No hygienist middle man for me. 
They decided NOT to usher me into a conference room for this discussion.  Their bad.
From the 30 minute "conversation":

DM: Braxton needs to work on his brushing.
Me: I brush his teeth.
DM: Well, these grades are for you, too, mom.  (Braxton recieved D's in both hygiene and brushing.)
Me: Don't be such a smarmy jerk.  
DM: You need to cut back on his daily soda and candy.
Me: We don't even have those in the house.
DM: You also need to use a flouride rinse and floss his teeth.
Me: We do, every day.
DM: No - you don't.  I'm telling you what I see.
Me:  You're seeing it wrong then.
DM: Maybe you need to scrub his teeth harder.
Me: I go through a battery on his toothbrush every other week.  Any harder and I'll scrub his teeth away.
DM: Well - you're missing spots. The germs eat what he eats and poops on his teeth, causing decay.
Me: Thanks.  I somehow made it 25 years without knowing that little bit of info! 
Me: So, somehow - putting even more effort into his teeth than we ever have before - his teeth are getting worse.  Please explain how "missing a few spots" is to blame for this.
DM: I'm just telling you what I see.
Me: I don't have a degree in dentistry and I can tell something is seriously effed up with his mouth.
DM: Well, I don't know what to say.  You need to brush more carefully.
Me: Say that one more time... just one more.  You'll get the privilege of  meeting my fist. 
Me: So, yesterday when the ENT told me that his mouth problems are most likely related to his tonsils - she was full of crap?
DM: OOOOOH, no, that's probably a big part of it.  After he gets those out his mouth shouldn't dry out and will protect his teeth a bit.
Me: And the staining (which thankfully was scraped off - even though it was at the expense of his gums) couldn't be attributed to anything but me "missing a few spots"?
DM: Well - not unless he's taken to chewing tobacco.
Me: What about his iron supplement?
DM: Ooooh, I should have thought to ask about that.  The three most staining products are chewing tobacco, soy sauce and iron drops.
Me: Yeah.  Thanks buttwad. 


 In short, we're seeking a new pediatric dentist.  I knew from the beginning he was an ass - to the parents. But I can tell he has a deep passion for pediatric dentistry and the boys are comfortable there, so we continued to go. I have chosen not to let him make me doubt my ability to take care of my kids anymore, though.
The best part is - after he saw Kenny's mouth (who recieved all A's) he didn't really change his tune about my ability to brush B-rox's mouth.
So, apparently - I just preferentially brush Kieran's mouth better.  Whatever.  


So, we have answers - and our year of better health seems to actually be coming to fruition.  WOOT!