$47 Peace Of Mind

Micah has been trying to cut his one year molars for months now.  I thought I caught sight of one peeking through one day, but it disappeared the very next day.  Then he developed these nasty looking bruises on his gums that would not go away and they started swelling.
When we went to the Pediatrician for Micah's 15 month check-up, he noticed the swelling and bruising and suggested that we take him to see a dentist.  I had been concerned about his gums for some time, but after the pediatrician was concerned as well, I really got nervous!
The appointment was today, and I was terrified that they were going to have to cut his gums in order for his teeth to come through or that there was something wrong with his teeth.  Turns out he has Eruption Hematomas where his teeth should be coming in. It sounds much more serious than it really is!  They are perfectly normal and usually go away on their own.  Because of Micah's fair skin, his look a little worse than usual.  There is no need for any type of intervention at this point.  The dentist said that he thinks the teeth are just about to come through.  He wants to see him again if they have not broken the surface in six months.  We are praying that they come on in on their own before that time.
So today I basically paid a Doctor to tell me not to worry...and let me tell you, it was worth every penny!

First Dentist Appointment

Today was Noah's first dentist appointment. I had been meaning to take him for quite some time, but just kept putting it off. For some reason, he was incredibly excited about his dentist visit. His teacher said that was all he had talked about in school all day long!
He did very well and let the dental hygienist and the Dentist poke all around in his mouth without even one complaint. The dental hygienist found one small "sugar bug bite" on one of Noah's back teeth. For all of you who do not speak pediatric dentistry, that equals a cavity.
The Dentist wants to fill it next week. He said it is not a big deal, Noah will not have to get a shot, and should be in and out in less than thirty minutes. So my question is this...if it is a baby tooth that is going to fall out anyway, why fill it? Is the Dentist just trying to make an extra buck or is there a real need to fill a small cavity in a baby tooth? Have any of you had any experience with cavities in baby teeth? What did you do? I guess that is more than one question, but any advice would be appreciated!

Tooth Fairy

Noah lost his first baby tooth just before his birthday back in January. He lost his second one just a few weeks after the first. They both already have "grown up" teeth in their place.
Yesterday, Noah lost his third baby tooth. Last night we had to leave a note in the bottom bunk so the tooth fairy would know to look on the top bunk since Noah now sleeps up there.
This morning, Noah found two dollars from the tooth fairy under his pillow. (I think there may have been some miscommunication between the fairies as to who was leaving money!)
All that to say this...Noah has yet to see a dentist. I am planning on taking him next week. He is really scared. Any tips on taking a child to see the dentist for the first time?