Was up bright and early this morning to take Lydia to a dentist’s appointment at 8:20. A couple of months ago there was extensive water damage done to our local medical building, so services in our town were moved for the time being about ten miles away to a neighboring town. So as not to terribly inconvenience students and the elderly, however, a temporary dental office was set up in a trailer that’s been parked outside the school here, and that’s where Lydia and I went today. It’s pretty cramped inside, but they seem to have everything they need. I think it’s probably worse for the dentist and hygienist than for the patients — I think I’d be pretty claustrophobic by day’s end if I were cooped up there from 9 to 5.
The high point of the appointment was learning that she doesn’t have any cavities (despite my rather lackadaisical supervision of tooth-brushing). The low point was that there was more talk of braces. She has a narrow upper jaw, apparently, and her top molars touch against the inside of her bottom molars, which is a Bad Thing. She has another appointment on Monday morning (at 7:50AM, on a day off from school, no less!) to have a mold made of her top teeth. The mold will be sent away to the orthodontist for evaluation, and we’ll learn more later. Vain as she is, Lydia is less than pleased at the thought of a mouthful of hardware. Me, I have to admit that I’m almost a little jealous. When I was a kid our insurance wouldn’t cover the “cosmetic” procedures of correcting my underbite and the gap in my front teeth, and I would have LOVED to have braces. What’s that they say — orthodontics are wasted on the young? So true.
As someone who is similarly afflicted with the dreaded gap tooth, I feel your pain. Our family could only afford orthodontics for one child and that was my brother (yes, I know he had four ROWS of teeth at one time). I’ve investigated having my gap corrected but there is a huge $$$ and very few professionals who would attempt it.
I had top AND bottom fixed braces when I was a teenager. It’s pretty horrible and painful at times. When they take off the mold it feels like they’re going to pull all your teeth out with it, but of course they don’t. Once the brace is on you have to go back and have it tightened periodically. This can be painful, depending on how much they tighten it. I used to dose myself up with painkillers until the next morning. Oh dear! Maybe you shouldn’t let Lydia see this comment !!! BUT despite the pain and the difficulty eating any thing fibrous (peaches) or chewey (toffee), it’s worth it in the end. I often want to stop kids with major bracework in the street and tell them that so, Lydia, be strong and think of your future smile :oD
It is at least better to get it at a young age! I had braces when I was 14-15 or in 8-9th grade just before high school so that I didn’t have to deal with them then.