The moment the dentist showed us the 360 X-ray of our son’s mouth, we could see he’d need braces. His top incisors (the vampire teeth, or often called “canines”) didn’t have any room to come down. Without space, the teeth could clearly erupt from any which way they chose, messing up Leigh’s entire life. Well, not so dramatic, but still.

We talked about getting braces and he begged us to wait until spring baseball season was over so he could chew gum and eat sunflower seeds like the best of them. After a consultation with the orthodontist recommended by his friends’ parents (EVERYONE has braces these days), we scheduled an appointment to have his braces put on the day before 4th grade started. Our kid really likes school, so I figured he’d be so excited about starting a new school year that he’d forget he had braces entirely. Not so much. But he survived thanks to his teacher’s empathy.

Little did I know that getting braces is done in baby steps. Leigh had six brackets put on his front teeth for a month. Then they installed an expander in the roof of his mouth, the device that will make room for those canines to come down. Another month went by and he had his first wire change. Now he has springs pushing his teeth apart and a rubber band pulling his front teeth together. I don’t even fully know what’s still to come, but I know it involves braces along his bottom teeth soon. At least they let him pick the colors for his expander (pictured in the center), something that’s attached to the roof of his mouth no one will ever see. I half expect him to ask to keep the darn thing when they remove it so he can keep it in the carrying case it came with.

This whole experience has taken a toll on our poor parental hearts. I want Leigh to have braces because he needs them, and we’re privileged enough to afford them. Orthodontia isn’t cheap! I’d much rather buy him a plane ticket to Paris. He was excited at first, but then quickly realized it doesn’t feel good and it really limits the food he eats. I know the braces are going to help him in the long run, but jeez, can’t technology make it easier to move teeth around? All that metal in his mouth seems so medieval. Not only do I worry about my son having growing pains, but I am also concerned about his mouth being uncomfortable.

The day will soon come when his expander comes out and he’ll feel a bit more normal. Leigh started playing the trombone in band this year and I know blowing in that brass instrument must feel funny with braces on. I’m just glad he doesn’t know any different. Man, it’ll feel good when all that hardware is out of his mouth before he starts 5th grade. And only then will we consider the idea of phase two of braces… if we can afford it! Remember, we really like to travel. 😉

One thing Leigh really likes about his appointments is the orthodontist gives kids a coin to play their claw machine. He is getting really good at it! When I was a kid, we were lucky if the dentist had a treasure chest of toothbrushes and toothpaste we got to pick from on our way out the door.