“We’re almost done with this part, Joey. Please stop carrying on like this, honey. You don’t need to holler.”

The boy sobs as the dentist scolds him gently. Can’t they see he’s hurting? He wiggles his feet, letting out more whimpers. He hates this- why won’t they stop? His mommy pats his chest, pressing a kiss to his hand as well. “I know, sweet boy, but the doctor has to see how deep your cavity is.”

Joey chokes on another sob as a metal explorer drives further into his aching tooth. He squeezes his mommy’s hand, squeaking in pain as he feels the pick continue to probe. “M-Ma-a-ama!”

Rather distressed, his caregiver looks up tearfully. “Can you please go ahead and numb him if you’re going to poke him? He’s in pain,” she says, thumbing away her baby’s tears. “Please? He’s sensitive, and he’s scared to death.”

Joey wails in distress as the dentist exits his mouth with the dreaded tool. “It hurts! No more!”

“Poor fella,” the dental assistant soothes, “That’s all over, buddy. You did awesome.” She pats his chest and suctions a bit of saliva before hanging the tube on his lower lip. Joey whimpers, feeling rather humiliated by the loud machine. He’s a big boy! He can swallow by himself! Tears in his eyes, he yanks the suction out and crosses his arms. “No!”

His mama sighs, patting his forehead. “Baby, they can’t even suck up your spit?”

“You’ve gotta let us keep Mr. Thirsty in,” the dentist coos, “I know he’s loud but he’s not hurting you, sweetheart.”

Joey whines exasperatedly as the suction is repositioned. The dentist enters his mouth with a mirror, careful about her next moves. If the boy saw the needle, he wouldn’t let her inject him. She gently has the assistant pin his hands, before gently pulling back his cheek. “Now, Joey, I need you to close your eyes or look at Mommy and stay really still…”

Joey blinks away tears as the cool metal of the mirror presses against his lips. What is happening now? He sniffles, looking at his Mommy for help. “M’ma?” He whimpers, talking around the mirror.

“Mommy’s right there,” the dentist reminds, carefully dosing up the lidocaine injection behind Joey’s head. “Close those eyes, Joey.”

Joey whimpers, trying to see what was happening behind him, but his Mommy holds his head still. The assistant gently pushes down his hands, shushing him as the dentist begins to pull back his cheek. “Wow, you are being such a brave boy,” the assistant distracts.

Joey whimpers in fear, eyes darting around the room. Then, he sees it. The biggest needle he’s ever seen. He squeaks in panic, attempting to reach up and escape, but he’s no match against his Mama and the assistant.

His Mommy thumbs his cheek, struggling to hold his head in place. “Quick poke, my brave little man. Just like a bee sting.”

Joey squeals, now fully sobbing. Bees were scary, the dentist was scarier, and he had never even been stung by a bumblebee! “No!”

“Joey, sweetie, don’t make us have to hold your mouth open,” The dentist scolds softly, pulling back his cheek again. “I really don't want to have to do that.”

Joey sobs- this made no sense to him. She wanted to give him a needle, but holding his mouth was where this lady drew the line? Disoriented and fairly mad, he shakes his head. “I don’t care!”

“Do you want to try giving him some nitrous?” The dentist asks his caregiver, eyebrows raised. “I don’t feel like it’s right to work on him if he’s so distressed. He’ll feel much better once he relaxes.”

Joey watches his mommy nod. Within moments, a rubber mask is clamped over his nose. He wrinkles his face in disgust as the smell invades his nostrils. It was sickeningly sweet.

“Are you sure the cavities can’t wait to be filled until we sedate him?”

The dentist shakes her head sadly. “Nope.” She opens Joey’s mouth, and points to a cavity with a gloved finger. “This one’s so deep, we’re looking at a possible root canal if we wait even another week.”

Joey sobs drowsily, his whole body floating at this point. Root canal? He tries to protest, but when he opens his mouth, a gag is shoved inside and clicked open. Tears drip down Joey’s cheeks, and the dentist apologizes, “I’m sorry, sweetie, but you weren’t opening enough. This keeps you nice and wide for us, okay?”

Joey sobs, trying to shake his head, but his mama has it firmly gripped in her hands. His eyes glued to the needle, he watches it approach closer and closer to his aching mouth, and then…

“AGHHHHHH!”

White, hot pain. He can feel the needle puncture his soft, pink gums, tearing flesh as it goes closer and closer to the bone. Joey tries to jolt upwards, but the assistant has his hands firmly pinned. Screams turn into hysterical wails until finally the needle is removed. Joey sobs, trying to sit up, but he can’t. Instead his mouth is suctioned out, saliva and blood pooling over his bottom lip.

“Good boy, Joey!” His mama soothes, smiling tearfully. “You did so good!”

Joey tries to ask to leave, but instead a metal band is placed around his molar and tightened. He winces, still able to feel the band cutting into his gums.

“Mom, we’re doing amalgam today, right?”

She nods, smiling. “Yes, please.”

Joey, not knowing what those words mean, simply lays helpless. He looks at his mama before he hears a drill whirring above his head.

“Here we go, Joey. It’s time for some pressure.”