Adult Braces

My daughter called me out of the blue and said she was going to the dentist. I immediately started thinking of something to say to console her.  Then she said she was going to get her teeth cleaned. Well I thought that’s better than a root canal. The day came and she survived the dentist, my words, teeth cleaned fait-accompli I thought, as she related her experience to me over the phone. Well she said, ” I have to return for another appointment”. Well this young lady is in her thirties. Maybe that root canal was lurking after all. Immediately I tried to recall those words of comfort I had prepared for such a happenstance. As I pondered, out of the phone came these words, “I’m getting braces”. Braces I thought, isn’t that for young kids, teenagers even. By the way didn’t she get braces when she was younger. Don’t say anything I thought, maybe I misheard, I don’t hear as well as I once did. Yes, she repeated, braces. Okay I thought. You must understand I’ve never had braces, and I thought only teenagers got braces. So not being familiar with the subject matter and not desiring to hear the inevitable, Oh dad, conversation, I quickly changed the subject.

The day came for her to get braces and then in a text, I think that’s what it’s called, she said her mouth hurt. Hey my words of comfort were about a root canal, what do I say about braces? Well being quick on my feet and quite the wordsmith, I replied, “Oh”. This quickly lead to the Oh dad lecture. It seems, it is not uncommon for adults to get braces. There is pain initially in adjusting to them but in around two years, you’ve got that beautiful smile. Well I guess I’ll get more of the lecture next week. Something about spacers and anchors or well I don’t remember just stay tuned. I thought I was supposed to give the lectures at least I wanted to. Well I’ll soon need dentures, they don’t hurt do they.