Scenario:A young boy and his baby sister goes to the dentist. The young boy has a painful tooth and the dentist suggested having sedation. He gives the boy a choice between an anesthesia mask and a nitrous oxide nasal mask. The baby sister wants to try the gas as well as she reaches up to her brothers mask. The sister gets the other mask
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A young boy and his baby sister goes to the dentist. The young boy has a painful tooth and the dentist suggested having sedation. He gives the boy a choice between an anesthesia mask and a nitrous oxide nasal mask. The baby sister wants to try the gas as well as she reaches up to her brothers mask. The sister gets the other mask
Evan
He is a young boy with a painful tooth. He is curious,brave,and nervous. He visits the dentist with his baby sister,Nina. Evan prefers playing sports over school,but enjoys learning. He has a close bond with his big sister Sydney,who he misses during trips. At the dentist,Evan hesitantly chooses between anesthesia and nitrous oxide for his tooth extraction. Nina tries the gas and enjoys it,making Evan curious.
Dr. Lee
He is a pediatric dentist who treats children with patience and understanding. He is professional,gentle,and explanatory. Dr. Lee explains sedation options to Evan and allows Nina to try the nitrous oxide gas. He reassures Evan that both masks will help make his tooth extraction more comfortable,creating a calm atmosphere during their visit.
Nina
She is a baby with a big personality. She is adventurous,cheerful,and bold. She accompanies her brother Evan to the dentist and tries the nitrous oxide gas,which makes her happy and giggly. Despite being young,she understands enough to make choices and interact with her surroundings. She reaches out to touch Evan's mask and prefers the other one,showing her curiosity and playful nature.
My tooth hurts.
It’s been hurting for a while now.
Mom says it’s probably just a cavity, but it feels like the top has been ripped off and the nerve is exposed.
I don’t like going to the dentist, but I’ve never had a cavity before.
I hate the thought of having to get a shot and then drilled.
The whole idea makes me nervous, but I know it has to be done.
I’m sitting in the waiting room with my baby sister Nina on my lap.
She is six months old and always on the go.
She can almost crawl and is getting into everything.
She is a big personality in such a tiny frame.
I love her to death and am glad I get to take her with me to the dentist.
I wish Sydney were here too, but she is in school.
I wish I could take her to the dentist instead of me going.
I don’t like school much, but I would rather be learning than have a tooth drilled on.
Sydney is my big sister and I like when she teaches me things.
Dr. Lee comes out to the waiting room and calls my name.
I stand up and walk over to him.
He is an older man with glasses and a kind smile.
He has gray hair that is thinning on top, but he still looks young.
I follow him back to the dentist chair.
Mom follows behind us with Nina in her arms.
She sits down in the chair next to mine as Dr. Lee helps me into my chair.
I climb up and sit down, looking around at all the tools on the counter.
There are drills and picks and all sorts of things that I don’t recognize.
Dr. Lee walks over to me and holds up a blue nasal mask.
"This is a special mask," he says.
"It’s going to help you relax while I work on your tooth."
"How?"
I ask him, curious about what it does. "This is called happy gas," he explains.
"It will make you feel floaty and relaxed. You won’t feel any pain while I’m working on your tooth."
He puts the mask over my nose, adjusting the rubber edge until it fits snugly against my face.
The rubber is cold against my skin, but it doesn’t hurt.
I can smell something sweet coming from the mask, like cotton candy or bubble gum.
It smells good and I take a deep breath through my nose.
Nina points at me and babbles loudly, reaching out towards my face with grabby hands.
Dr. Lee notices her interest in the mask and pulls out another one from his pocket.
He walks over to Mom and hands it to Nina.
She sits in Mom’s lap, her big brown eyes wide with excitement.
Dr. Lee adjusts the clear plastic mask over her tiny nose and mouth.
She giggles and waves her hands at him as he secures the elastic band behind her head.
The gas hisses softly through her mask as she breathes deeply, fascinated by the sound.
Mom holds her steady as she starts to get sleepy.
I watch them from my reclined chair, feeling my head get lighter as the sweet gas fills my lungs.
Dr. Lee checks on both of us, making sure we’re comfortable before he starts working on my tooth.
He checks Nina’s breathing and heart rate, then looks at me and smiles reassuringly.
"You’re doing great," he says.
"Just relax and let the gas do its job."
I nod, feeling my eyelids start to droop.
Dr. Lee walks back to his counter and picks up a drill, turning it on and testing it before he comes back to me.
He puts on a pair of gloves and leans over my mouth, looking at my teeth carefully.
"Okay," he says after a moment.
"I’m going to start now. Just relax and breathe deeply."
I take a deep breath through the mask, feeling myself becoming even more relaxed as the gas takes effect. Dr. Lee starts drilling into my tooth, but I don’t feel anything except a slight pressure against my gums.
The sound of the drill is loud in my ears, but it doesn’t bother me like it normally would.
I feel like I’m floating above my body, watching everything that’s happening from a distance.
Nina’s head tilts forward against Mom’s chest as she falls asleep from the gas.
Dr. Lee continues to work on my tooth, occasionally checking on Nina to make sure she’s still breathing normally.
After a few minutes, he finishes up and steps back from my chair.
"Are you okay?" he asks me, removing the mask from my face.
I nod slowly, feeling a little dizzy from the gas.
"Yeah," I say quietly.
"I think so."
As the room spins gently around me, I realize that facing fears isn't so bad when you're not alone.
