A Field Trip to the Dentist's Office

"I'm so excited!" Billy exclaimed.

"So am I!" Jolena agreed. "I feel so lucky to get to go on this field trip!"
The dolls were sitting on the stairs, waiting to leave to go to visit the dentist. While they were waiting, Mandy explained that a dentist looks after people's teeth. She told them what they would see and do at the dentist's office. (It's always good to know what to expect before you go somewhere new.)
"I know you will remember your manners," Mandy said after she had explained everything to them. "You are both well-behaved dolls. I know you will say please and thank you, and that you will ask before you touch anything."
Jolena and Billy nodded.
Mandy wanted to make sure the two younger dolls remembered what she told them. "Now, tell me what you will do there," Mandy said.

"First, we will go in and let them know we are there," Jolena replied. "Then we will sit down and wait for someone to come and get us."

"Yes," agreed Billy. "We will be patient and quiet. Then, when someone comes to get us, we will do what they say."
"You will be fine," Mandy assured them. "You both have had a lot of practice doing things real children do. This is no different."

"It's exciting getting to do what real children do," Jolena said, "even though a lot of it is pretend for us."

"Pretending is what we do best," Mandy agreed.

The drive to the dentist's office only took a few minutes. As soon as they arrived, Jolena went to sit down on a chair, while Billy waited for the lady to come back to her desk, so he could tell her that they were there.

After he made sure she knew they had arrived, Billy went to sit down with Jolena to wait patiently.

It was interesting to look around the waiting room. Neither one of the dolls had ever been in a dentist's waiting room before. 

Jolena noticed that there was a big fish tank full of fish. She watched the fish for a while. They made her feel very relaxed.

Billy wondered if every dentist had fish. He knew that some fish have teeth, but not the kind of fish people usually kept as pets.

After a few minutes, the nice lady at the desk told them that it might be a few minutes. She suggested they might like to do some coloring at the children's table in the corner. That sounded like fun!

While Jolena looked through the coloring book to find a page to color, Billy picked out the colors.

Soon the dolls were happily coloring in the coloring book.

In a few minutes another lady came to the waiting room and said they were ready for Billy and Jolena. She introduced herself. She said she was a hygienist. She said it like "HIGH-jeh-nist." The hygienist is a person who knows all about keeping teeth and gums clean and healthy. She explained that her job is to clean people's teeth and to help with anything the dentist needs help with, like taking X-rays or handing the dentist the right tools when the dentist fills cavities in people's teeth. (She said it like "KAH-vuh-tees.") Cavities are holes in the teeth caused by something called decay (dee-KAY).

They went down a hall and into a smaller room.

"This looks like the bridge of a starship!" Billy exclaimed when he saw it. The first thing he noticed was a set of cords with things at the ends that looked like something could be attached to them.

"Can you tell me what all of these things are for please?" Billy asked politely.

The hygienist showed the dolls how you could attach tools to one of the cords. She attached a cleaning tool and turned it on. It had a little foam brush at the end that went around and around, very fast. 

While it was moving, she touched it to Billy's fingernail, so he could feel it. Then she let Jolena feel it. She told them that was what it felt like on your teeth.

Then the hygienist showed the dolls a tool that could shoot water, like a water pistol. It was used to rinse the teeth. It could also shoot air to blow the teeth clean, so the dentist can see. It made a swooshing sound. She let each doll feel what it was like to have the water or air on their hands.

Another tool was like a little vacuum cleaner. It is used to remove the water from a person's mouth after the teeth are rinsed. Each doll felt what it was like. It made a slurping sound.

"That's really cool!" Billy exclaimed.

While she was showing these tools to the dolls, the hygienist explained why it is important to look after your teeth. Billy thought it was very interesting.

Jolena was very interested in the computer. She learned that it is used for things like looking at X-rays and for checking to see how long ago X-rays had been taken. 

The hygienist explained that X-rays are pictures of the teeth using high-energy waves to show things you can't see with just your eyes. Some cavities or other problems only show up on the X-rays. If the teeth aren't straight enough, it can make it difficult to eat or speak, and sometimes it causes a person's mouth to hurt. If the dentist sees that kind of problem, the person will be sent to a special kind of dentist called an orthodontist (or-thuh-DON-tist) to get them straightened. It's very important with children's teeth, because if there's a problem, finding it early can make it easier to fix.

Then she showed them the frame that holds the film. When you're having X-rays taken, the hygienist will put the frame in your mouth. Then she asks you to bite down on the frame. The frame on this one is red. She takes the photo through the blue part.

The hygienist explains that it doesn't hurt, and it's fun to see what your teeth look like with X-rays. 

In the middle of the room was a big chair. The hygienist let the dolls sit in the chair. First it was Jolena's turn.
"It's like a big recliner," Jolena said.

Then she got down and Billy climbed into the chair.
"There's lots of room for my legs," he said.

"May I pretend to be the hygienist?" Jolena asked.

"I'll be the patient!" Billy exclaimed. "If I may, please," he added.

The hygienist said that was a good idea. She took Jolena to the counter at the side of the room. She showed her a set of tools.

She showed Jolena each tool and explained what it was for. There was a tool to pull off bits of stuff that collects on people's teeth. She tapped Jolena's fingernail with it.

"This is what it feels like when it's used on a person's teeth," she explained.

"That's interesting," Jolena said.

Then the hygienist showed Jolena a little mirror that is used to see the back side of a tooth. Jolena could see her face in it. "That mirror is doll-size!" she exclaimed.

After the hygienist had explained all the tools to Jolena, she took them over to Billy and showed each one to him. Then she explained that the dentist and the hygienist would wash their hands at the little sink before checking someone's teeth and gums. She had Jolena pretend to wash her hands and then show that they were clean.

Normally, the dentist and the hygienist would each put on some special gloves and a mask before they touch a person's mouth, but there aren't any in Jolena's size, so they decided she would just pretend.

After telling Billy what was going to happen, the hygienist made the chair lie back. Billy thought it was like going for a short ride.

"I can see the ceiling," Billy said. "I'm glad I'm not the kind of doll with eyes that close."

The hygienist put a kind of bib on Billy, so he wouldn't get his shirt messed up. Then she brought down a big light that is used to shine in a person's mouth, so the hygienist and the dentist can see well. It was very bright. Now Billy wished his eyes could close.

Jolena was ready to pretend to be the hygienist.

"I can only open my mouth if I no one is looking," Billy said, so the hygienist closed her eyes. (She had eyes that can close.) 
Jolena pretended to check his teeth and poke around in his mouth. She asked Billy if he had been brushing his teeth correctly and if he had been flossing. (That means using a special kind of thread between the teeth to clean where the brush can't reach.)

"I would brush and floss my teeth, if I had any teeth," he replied.

"I know you would brush your teeth and floss if you had teeth," Jolena said. So would I!"

Both dolls laughed. The hygienist laughed, too, and then she opened her eyes again.

"We have to pretend to brush and floss our teeth after we pretend to eat," Jolena said. "Also at bedtime," she added.

"We are supposed to limit how much candy and other sweets we eat," Billy said, "because that stuff is bad for teeth."

"You are very smart dolls," said the hygienist. Then she gave each of them a little bag with some teeth-cleaning supplies. There was even a little hourglass timer, so they could be sure they brushed long enough.

When they had seen everything, the hygienist took Jolena and Billy back to the counter next to the waiting room. The lady at the counter said she would make their next appointment. "When would you like to come back?" she asked.

"Tomorrow!" the dolls said together.

"How about in six months?" the lady suggested.

Billy and Jolena went to find Mandy when they got home. "How did it go?" Mandy asked as Jolena climbed up and sat on the big chair with her.
"It was fun," Billy said, climbing up to join Mandy and Jolena.

"We saw some really cool stuff," Jolena agreed.
"Tell me what you learned," Mandy said. She put her glasses to the top of her head, which meant she was ready to listen.

"I found out," Jolena explained, "that the dentist looks at children's teeth and gums to see if there are any problems and to make sure their teeth are developing properly as they grow. Children's teeth can even be straightened if they need it."
"I found out," Billy added, "that the hygienist cleans and flosses their teeth, and looks for cavities. Cavities are holes in the teeth," he explained.

"Cavities are caused by something called decay," Jolena added. Then Jolena explained that flossing is using a special kind of waxy string to get in between the teeth to remove little pieces of food that your toothbrush doesn't reach.
"It leaves your teeth all clean!" she exclaimed.

Mandy nodded.

"They use X-rays to find the cavities," Billy said excitedly. "They put a little plastic frame with some special film inside a person's mouth. The person holds it still by biting on it while the hygienist takes the picture. Then you can look at the pictures and see your teeth the way Superman could see them!"

"If the person has a cavity," Billy continued, "the dentist will remove the bad part of the tooth with some of those tools and then fill it with special filling material. I'd like to see that."

"Maybe when we go back in six months," Jolena suggested. 

"You really learned a lot!" Mandy said with a smile. "You remembered it, too," she added.

"It was fun," Billy said again. "Now I almost know what it's like to have teeth."
"I wonder what it's like to chew," Jolena mused.
"Me, too," agreed Billy.
The three dolls thought about that.

The dolls also thought about how important it is to take care of your teeth...if you have teeth.

Cast--

Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London

Many thanks to East Bend Dental in Bend, Oregon, for allowing Jolena and Billy to visit and learn about trips to the dentist.

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Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz, Classic Kidz or Little Kidz. If you like these stories and are willing, please make a donation of any amount to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or any organization that supports pediatric cancer research and treatment. We are not affiliated with St. Jude in any way other than these donations.

"The Doll's Storybook" is not affiliated with Gotz Dolls USA Inc. or Götz Puppenmanufaktur International GmbH.
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