The Katie Chronicles, Tin Grin Edition
Yesterday, I took a reluctant Katie to get a consultation with her new orthodontist. It included a cost estimate and all I can say is I’ll really miss those little luxuries like food and shelter for the next 24 to 30 months. Just kidding. It wasn’t that bad. Actually it was better than I thought it would be. During the course of the conversation, I learned a random fact and you know how I love those: Orthodontists have to do a 3 year residency after dental school. Three years? Who knew? (Katie’s ortho is a Tar Heel, apparently). I was also reminded how odd it is that orthodontists use the word “appliance” when talking about the various devices that straighten and correct teeth. You want to put an appliance in my child’s mouth? Like, a Maytag? Nope, Katie has to have this thing called a carriere and it’s a bite correcting appliance that’s like a retainer with rubber bands. She’s not looking forward to it but when she remembered the childhood stories I had told her about The Great Headgear Debacle of 1982, she got more positive. So the bite correction is the first stage and then in about 4 to 6 months it’s brace face time! She was relieved about not having to get molds of her teeth made with that gross, squishy stuff — it’s all 3D imaging now, of course — and excited about getting rainbow rubber bands on the braces, so at least there’s that.
Yesterday, I took a reluctant Katie to get a consultation with her new orthodontist. It included a cost estimate and all I can say is I’ll really miss those little luxuries like food and shelter for the next 24 to 30 months. Just kidding. It wasn’t that bad. Actually it was better than I thought it would be. During the course of the conversation, I learned a random fact and you know how I love those: Orthodontists have to do a 3 year residency after dental school. Three years? Who knew? (Katie’s ortho is a Tar Heel, apparently). I was also reminded how odd it is that orthodontists use the word “appliance” when talking about the various devices that straighten and correct teeth. You want to put an appliance in my child’s mouth? Like, a Maytag? Nope, Katie has to have this thing called a carriere and it’s a bite correcting appliance that’s like a retainer with rubber bands. She’s not looking forward to it but when she remembered the childhood stories I had told her about The Great Headgear Debacle of 1982, she got more positive. So the bite correction is the first stage and then in about 4 to 6 months it’s brace face time! She was relieved about not having to get molds of her teeth made with that gross, squishy stuff — it’s all 3D imaging now, of course — and excited about getting rainbow rubber bands on the braces, so at least there’s that.
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