Le Dentiste (The Dentist)

Today Clara and I met with two different "dentistes" in Fontainebleau. Not really what I had in mind when I thought about living in France, but somehow this week has brought many new challenges to life here! Clara has been complaining off and on about her tooth. Yesterday she returned home from a school field trip to Paris where she visited the Musee de Orsay. She walked in the door, started crying and told me it was the worst day of her life! Well after talking it through I found out her tooth had been hurting all day long. She woke in the night with throbbing pain so I knew we were in for it. I called my friend & visiting -teacher from church, Magali. I asked if she knew of a good dentist. She said she had one in Fontainebleau and then she offered to call and make an appointment for Clara. I was grateful for her help as I knew we needed to get in ASAP. Magali offered to come with me so that she could translate. THANK GOODNESS!

At the first dentist office we explained the problem. He spoke a tiny bit of English and kept saying "DOOON'T WOORY!" He then looked in Clara's mouth tapped two times on the infected tooth and said, "We must pull out this tooth right now!" I was in shock and Clara had tears just streaming down her face. I asked why and wondered why he had not done an x-ray or any other investigation. He said the molar was a baby tooth and would eventually fall out. I said, "No we will not be pulling out her tooth!" After a lengthy discussion he said he would put in a filling, but I must leave the room. By now Clara was so full of anxiety and tears I didn't know what to do. I was so grateful Magali was there to translae from French to English. Finally it was decided that we would go to a pediatric dentist. Lucky for us there was one available today. We walked from one office to the other.

Dentist number two was great. Dr. Leroy was very calm and friendly. Clara sat right up in his lime green chair and let him take care of the cavity. I was not allowed to be in the room during the procedure. Apparently this is the way with French dentistry. Because Clara needed to understand what the doctor was doing Magali was allowed to stay in the room. Clara was amazing. The doctor told her to raise her hand if she felt any pain. I didn't hear one shriek or cry and she was all smiles when the door opened. The filling looks a bit different from the ones we get at Dr. Jeff Connolly's in Salt Lake, but at least Clara still has her tooth. I think for Clara the hardest part of the entire ordeal was not being able to eat for an hour after the procedure! She is feeling much better tonight and I'm just glad to have one more trauma behind us!