My daughter had her braces removed today, a process that took 2 1/2 yrs. We had ankylosis teeth(this is when teeth are fused to the bone) an over bite, and crooked teeth. She does need to have them professional cleaned, but we are thrilled ; It is like the sun shines when she smiles.
She thought her teeth looked like baby teeth when the braces went on, so she was stunned when they came off, "my teeth are big" she kept saying.
So, what does she want when the braces come over..GUM: gum balls, hot cinnamon and bubble gum. She smacked all the way home and I loved every minute of it. We blew bubbles and cranked up the tunes and sang loud. She is 13, we had a great day, but her smile faded when she sent a pic via cell phone to her boyfriend and his comment was "You look weird". Bad choice of words, young man and soon, she was crying.
I told her( close up photo via a phone camera) it wasn't a great pic. You look beautiful ! I am sure he didn't mean it that way.
Brace yourself ,if you have a child that will have some type of aesthetic treatment, whether it is glasses, braces, contact lens...emotions are in full swing and it is easy to bruise a delicate ego. Second thought, you still need to brace yourself, even if they don't have any treatments.
This morning I drove her to school; science project is due today. Boyfriend was standing outside waiting for her, he smiled, she lit up...all is well, for now. There will be plenty more brace myself moments. Braces are like a metaphor for the teen years....except the teens are the teeth and
the parents are the braces. We try to hold them in check, keep them straight, clean up your..........., and position them for adult hood. Then a retainer is needed to keep teeth from going back to their original state ; we as parents, still need to do this, remind them over n' over again.
We have to be like an orthodontist, lots of check ups, except we need to check in! We need to keep things open, not their jaw, but the lines of communication. Braces are painful, but the results is so worth it!
Comments
What day; My daughter's birthday is March 5th.
It won't be dull, but you will endure and so will she.
It is an amazing time both happy and sad!
I think of it like the weather, lots of changes. The rain is the worst, but there is
almost always a rainbow at the end of the storm.
thank you so much for commenting on my blog. i found your blog on the PERFECT posting day. BRACES! i have 3 in braces right now. 1 already done and 1 more to go. to make matters worse, my dad is an orthodontist and so is my brother...however they don't live in the same state as we do right now, so i am PAYING for braces and it.s killing me! well worth the money though. i assisted them for almost 10 yrs. i.m going to have to send my dad to your blog. he.ll love that post.
i LOVED your post. really loving the comparison of parenting to braces....clever!
tell your daughter she is BEAUTIFUL.
i look forward to reading your blog and growing a friendship.
culinary school?
go for it!
chrissy
www.chrissygardner.blogspot.com
Wow, really you have braces; I found you at random...so i thought, perhaps not. You shouldn't be paying, not with the bus. in the family..OUCH!
What are you studying? Do you have a major or
just taking a few courses? I am toying with another idea for school. Researching right now and waiting for an injury to heal. I have back issues and need a Dr's note for culinary school...lots of standing/lifting.
I look forward to reading more of your blog; so friendly and inviting, from what I have seen!
Thank you, I get a kick out of thinking an orthodontist will read that post!
It will be fun to share with you; I am amazed that I found you, today!
Still not married, no retainer and my teeth have stayed in place! Your daughter is beautiful and I hope her orthodontic work is over for good.
Jairo Chavez @ Spring Branch Dental Care