So many good suggestions about the teeth.

A few things -

He pretty much has a full on panic attack. I really believe that he thinks he can go through with it and according to my husband he WAS going through with it until he saw the needles. He doesn't just have us get all the way up there and refuse to cooperate, it's deeper than that. He knows he has to do it. But he's ten year old very healthy child and the whole serious infection thing? He can't wrap his brain around it. He may need pharmaceutical assistance. Which brings me to this...

We have been warned away, repeatedly, from having his root canals done by an oral surgeon. Apparently it's not a procedure they perform regularly and it would be a hell of a thing to go through all this and have what's left of his teeth even more damaged. And so goes the general anesthesia. Endodontists do not, at least not around here, do that. The last guy told me that it's risky to have them under, with the tube going down their throat while they are doing so much work in their mouth and so it's not something that's generally practiced in the U.S. (He's from South Africa, where it IS something they practice and this guy was telling me how unwise it is)

So. No sleepy.

And they don't do that contious sedation for anyone under the age of 18. So none of that either.

And strapping him to a chair? My stomach turns at the thought. Plus, for a root canal - stillness is key. And you can bet he wouldn't be still. And the mental picture of all of this raises my mamabear hackles.

The mean route? Honestly, I'm so apathetic at this point I don't know if I have the wherewithall (sp?) to even be mean. Well, I do but the problem is this...he knows, now, that he has the power to just rip that spit thing off his neck and get out of the chair and the endodontist won't touch him. Which sucks.

I haven't done the bribery thing, really yet. I may. Oh, wait. I did tell him if he did the root canal thing I'd let him buy a certain song for his iPod. Cheesy? Yes. Will I up the stakes? Probably, but not yet.

The latest and greatest guy, who we will see on Tuesday, can give him valium in a pill form first. He's gone this route before, with liquid valium, it didn't work but maybe this time we can up the dosage or hell, I don't know...our options are so limited and the finances of it all looms large. Children's Hospital in Boston may be able to help us but last I checked there was a three month waiting period and no one was even willing to give us a referral to get us in earlier. Maybe with the abcess...

I am sick of teeth.

As, I bet, are you.

This is what you get when I do NaBloPoMo.

Anyway, happy thanksgiving! hope you all enjoyed your turkey, your families and your football.