Hank's Trip to the Orthodontist

The fact of the matter is that it's time for us to re-mortgage the house...I mean sell the cars...I mean invest in the structural health and cosmetic presentation of Hank's teeth! (That last part was read with an increasingly enthusiastic tone, exactly like saying, "Act enthusiastic and You'll Be ENTHUSIASTIC! YES!"

However, one in-progress trip to live in the Middle East complicates this. So today, I took Hank to a highly recommended orthodontist here in the big city, for a consultation over (1) what needs to be done, (2) should we act now or wait, (3) can orthodontics be started in one country and finished in the other, and (4) can I just sign myself up for a year of indentured servitude, starting now? "Indentured servitude." That's a pun. Get it?

So I'll spare you the details, except to say that this doctor was awesome--straight forward and smart and didn't treat me like "the little lady." When have I ever been little or a lady?!? Sorry Mom.

But the best part was this. The "appliances" used to correct Hank's overbite come in two flavors. The first is the traditional "head gear" worn at night that has been around since who-knows-when. He showed Hank the basics on what that would look like. He then said that lots of kids just can't be bothered and won't "follow the rules" and wear it, so it won't work on them.

In those cases, here's what they get:


The doctor actually had a model of gums/teeth with this on it, so Hank could see it in real life 3D.

As we got in the car, with a general plan in mind for how to do this with the two-year "adventure" oreoed in the middle, Hank proclaimed: "I don't care what else you do. But I swear I will wear the head gear. We cannot, no I WILL NOT, put those springs in my mouth."

I think we have a willing orthodontic participant.