A Date with the Ordothontist

When I was growing up, I had never paid much attention to my looks like how I did when I turned 14 years. Teenage-hood had just set in, and puberty did not spare me.

I was never self-conscious until when I looked at the mirror and noticed the unusual-ness in my dentals. The school's co-curricular activities made it hard for me as I shied away from participating in most of them because of esteem issues. My parents did not see this as important and thus my efforts to have them pay for my orthodontic treatment fell into deaf ears. And on this day I decided my first job, my first salary I would use it for the treatment. 

Today marks exactly 2 years, 7 months and 20 days when I first had my braces on. I remember everything so vividly like it was yesterday. I must say the journey has been one full of anxiety, anticipation, high and low moments. Checkups after the other, appointments after the other I never gave up for a moment, but one day I almost did!

You see, for orthodontic treatment like most treatment, the first appointment will include an X-ray being taken.  Photos and impressions for plaster study models of your teeth are also done. Fixed braces like what I have consist of brackets and bands bonded or cemented to the teeth (to get a hold of them), and very thin metal wires that gently push the teeth into their right positions.

After my first visit, the sequential appointments involved cementing of the bands and brackets to the affected teeth or jaws, adjustments to the braces by way of wire-changers, adding springs, elastics and other accessories. These adjustments have been going on for the last more than two and a half years with my braces on.

I must say, braces are not for the faint-heart. It goes without saying that pain, tears, loud sobs, are always part of me in most of the adjustment appointments that I continue to have. Overtime, the teeth have developed sensitivity and hot or cold drinks are no longer fashionable. Crunchy, hard, bites are now things of the past. I hardly remember the last time I had a piece of meat for diner or lunch. Slices of breads have to be broken down into smaller pieces, my favorite Chapati only remains a memory I hold dearly. Don't even ask when I last chewed a piece of sugarcane because I don't recall!

It should be noted however, braces come with its own bag of goodies. Overall, there is general improved oral hygiene, bite issues get to be corrected, raised self-esteem and enhanced self-confidence, just to mention a few. You would realize that braces is becoming more and more popular among the adult than it was a few years back. More and more people are getting braces because either they are not happy with the way their teeth look when they smile and they just want to enhance their appearance. 

A walk-in to one of the government offices recently for an official errand, left me in a few stitches when an elderly lady who could not hide her awe decided to question why I had braces on. She looked friendly and jovial and I decided to tell her why I had them on, but she was not convinced and said that the youth of the Y generation are into braces because it is fashionable. Well, I had to leave her to her own imagination because she would never understand two things: one, that braces are very costly and can get really uncomfortable! But the truth remains these questions come to me in almost all the places I visit, whether in a shopping mall, at the social places, or even when using buses on my way to work. Sometimes I respond to them and most times I choose to I ignore or else i would have to make it a full time job!

And so during my most recent appointment, I asked my orthodontist how much longer are we keeping the braces and she said "you have six-eight more months to go", and yes you can imagine the frown on my face. Yes here we are, taking each day at a time, my life with braces, the tastier foods that I have foregone, those Ice-creams, the hot drinks, the crunchy snacks, I have to wait, the long wait continues. Never give up so they say, when this is all said and done, then, the means will truly justify the end!

 See you around on the other side! Remind me to take y'all for Nyama Choma, goat eating festival when the braces are finally out!

Yours always,

Lisa

Xoxo