Brace Face!

Our girl got braces!!  Being the granddaughter of a dentist and a dental assistant, and the daughter of a dental hygienist, this kid was born to have a spectacular smile!  
Yes, I started brushing her "teefers" before she actually had "teefers."  Yep, she sure did get sealants the second her molars popped through her gums,  You betcha, she gets her teeth cleaned about once a month, uses an electric tooth brush, and I apply fluoride weekly.  But you know what..... she has no cavities and probably knows more about oral bacterial than any other kid her age.  And that makes our teeth-loving family very happy!

I had braces for five years!  FIVE!  I got them on in 6th grade, off half way through my junior year in high school.  I don't know the first thing about Orthodontics, my specialty stays with the tissue surrounding the teeth, but I assume my teeth were so jacked up that braces for that long was essential.  Obviously, having braces during those years made my awkward years...... super awkward.  I desperately wanted to avoid that for my daughter.  This kid has already inherited my insane ability to drop every single thing my hands touch, and blurt out the first thing that comes to mind, so any less awkwardness that both her and I can avoid is a good thing for everyone.

While I was in hygiene school I took an occlusal x-ray of my 5 year old Isabelle for my competencies and saw that one of her front teeth was developing sideways.  When that bugger was fully erupted I immediately took her to an Orthodontist who monitored her development and when she was just a little older he started her on 'phase I' of braces which simultaneously straightened her top teeth while making room for her adult molars.  We knew that she was going to need another phase when she got a little older, but a good chunk had been started and was now out of the way.  We were hopeful that this had lessened the amount of time she would have to have full braces.

Before- April 2011

During- Summer 2011

After- November 2011

Since getting the first phase of braces taken off two years ago, Isabelle has had teeth pulled to make room for her adult teeth, and because I knew enough to wait until all of her adult teeth were erupted and her roots were formed, she came to her first appointment perfectly primed for braces.  One week after meeting the doctor the process of getting braces started, and one week after that she had them on!  

Her Orthodontist estimates a 12-15 month treatment length!  Which makes me and Eric ecstatic!  

Now, y'all might think that this isn't nearly as interesting to read about as traveling...but I sure do!  Braces?!  Fluoride?!  No cavities?!  How can those sorts of thing not be fun to read about?! ;)  
{Don't worry, we're going to another Christmas Market tomorrow and Belgium for New Year's Eve... if teeth aren't your thing, I hope you'll visit my blog again in a few days}