Life In The Orthodontist Chair

Last Sunday, one of the brackets on my braces came loose. I'm not sure why... The first time I had a bracket come loose, I thought my tooth was falling out!! :o (My braces make my teeth feel really loose sometimes)

When I called them last Monday afternoon, the only appointment they had was 8:50 Thursday morning. I had to be at my violin lesson at 9:45 that morning , but I went ahead and made the appointment hoping that I would be able to move my lesson later. I was able to move my lesson 30 minutes later. Since the receptionist assured me that it only took about 15 or 20 minutes to put a bracket on, I was confident that I would get to my lesson on time.... as long as I left by 9:30. Forty minutes for one little bracket.....no way it is going to take that long.... or so I thought. :)

So, Thursday morning I get there a little bit early. I only had to wait a few minutes before they called me back. As I was walking back with the Orthodontic Assistant (Morgan) who would be fixing my bracket, She asked what wire was poking me. I explained that it was a loose bracket not a wire sticking into me. (I just ignore wire poking into me. When you have had braces as long as I have you get used to them.) It turns out the that the guy I had talked to on the phone was new and he had put the wrong code on the appointment slot. After Morgan had gone to the front desk and set him straight, she got right to fixing my bracket. She had just finished when the orthodontist Dr. H came over and looked in my mouth. He was quite pleased with how my teeth looked. He hadn't seen my teeth in a few months. I am a special case (really!) so the only Dr. who works on my braces is Dr. B.

Dr. B came over to look at my teeth and apparently thought I was there for a regular appointment and started messing with my braces. I, off course could not say anything with his hands in my mouth...so Morgan told him that I was just here to re-glue a bracket. His reply was "Two of the back brackets need to be converted ?? but they are not convertible so I am trying to see how I can convert them." Yeah... it didn't make too much sense to me either. So he ends up sawing off the little hooks on my brackets and then leaves the Orthodontic Assistant (I was tired of typing Morgan) to "tie the brackets in steel" But, because he had sawed off the little hooks, the wire didn't have anything to attach onto. :0 To make a long story short.... Dr. B ended up having to take off the brackets, find new "convertible" brackets and attach them. I finally got out of there at exactly 9:30 just in time to get to my violin lesson. :) Unfortunately, a few hours later as I was eating lunch the bracket came loose. :( So, yesterday I was back in the chair for the 3rd time in two weeks. (I think my orthodontist is great, but come on! )

For those who don't know, this is the second time I have had braces. I had weird jaw problems that my 1st orthodontist didn't fix. I should be getting my braces off in a few months... just about the time Olivia get hers back on. I feel your pain Olivia.