Braces, vision, and ‘newfangled stuff’

The world of orthodontics has come a long way since I was a kid. I was one of those lucky children whose teeth came in straight and I didn’t need any correcting, but that wasn’t the case for most of my friends. As I recall, the braces of my day were horribly unattractive and painful to the wearer. They were also painful to others. I can recall my first boyfriend having them and my first kiss ended with me having a cut lip. It was embarrassing to both of us and to me it was an alarming intro to new physical intimacy. Everyone who got them dreaded it no matter how much they wanted to have nice teeth and a good smile. They were also expensive.

Like everything else, there has been incredible improvement in the styles, fit and cost of corrective devices. Not only kids wear them these days. I know many adults who opt to wear them, and I don’t mean just people in their 20s, but rather, fairly “mature types.” So many things are optional that didn’t used to be. It’s fantastic!

This is National Orthodontics Month and a great time to discover if your child needs to have corrections on his bite or teeth, or perhaps both. They do amazing things with little to no “big deal” for the child. There are so many improvements in the world of medicine and science. It’s not only gadgets that indicate advancement. Visit any dental office and you will see an array of contemporary techniques and equipment that make it all easy and far less costly than it used to be.

For me, having to wear glasses was the bane of my existence. I had to wear them early in school and I hated them and having something in front of my eyes, and they felt heavy on my face. I was absolutely certain they made me look like a librarian and that boys wouldn’t like me. It happened for me at the tender age of 10 and I was also having the additional humiliation of the boy behind me snapping my (new) bra strap and pulling my ponytail repeatedly throughout the school day.

It was also peculiarly scary to realize that my eyes were not working to capacity and this reality made me feel somehow handicapped. Now there are simple surgical procedures to cure myopia and astigmatisms. My grown adult nephew recently had the surgery and no longer needs corrective lenses. He’s been urging me to go too and have it done, and I’m at last giving it some consideration.

October is a great month. Beautiful weather without being too cold and, of course, Halloween. Keep your children happy and safe when you’re out trick or treating and most of all, have fun.

Thanks for reading.