Note: Here we go! I hope this isn’t a dumpster fire, lol. Thank you for those who have sent in patients. @timeandbrace this is your appointment...
Patient 1: Pigtails and Headgear...Pam
Pam was a hard-working gal who balance a full class schedule at her local college and a full-time job at a restaurant in her town. The job wasn’t anything special, but it paid the bills, and it gave her the opportunity to have insurance; something that most her age either get through parents or jobs they have.
There were a few things that Pam was insecure about.
One: The retro outfit for the restaurant. She had to wear a 60s themed waitress outfit and was made to skate to cars to get their orders. Her curvy body tested the uniform almost daily.
Two: Her teeth. Pam’s family had grown up poor, and that meant no braces. Her teeth stuck out from her lips, and her jaw had a tilt to it, which dentists would call a deep crossbite.
When Pam qualified for insurance, she was overjoyed seeing that her dental was a part of the plan. The only catch was that there was just one dentist/orthodontist available for her. A Dr. Paul began seeing patients in the 60s when the restaurant first opened. Apparently, he made a deal with the owner to be their only dental provider. Pam was thrilled to get her teeth sorted out, and shrugged at all the forms that she had to fill out online.
On the day of her appointment, Pam drove to an older part of town. The waiting room was nice but was filled with the sound of drilling, and nervous chatter. The patients that she could see had complicated orthodontics and lips that puffed out showing that their mouths were full of orthodontia.
Upon her name being called, Pam was lead past a few chairs in an open room. All the chairs were filled with fearful patients who were being consoled by older women who seemed to be locked in time as they applied all kinds of orthodontia to other patients. Their dress was very similar (except roller-skates) to Pam’s work uniform. Pam was made to sit in a room where an older man in his 70s looked at X-rays that had been sent from her previous dentist. The man had large fake-looking teeth that gleamed white.
He looked down at the wide eyes brunette after reclining her and pulled the light to his liking.
His voice was soft and polite but he spoke with authority and confidence.
"Miss Pam I see you'd like to look into braces?"
Pam nodded and her voice was small, making her sound meek. "Y-yes. I've been saving up and finally have insurance."
Dr. Paul snapped on gloves and a mask as the door to the consultation room was shut. He did an very thorough examination being sure to check her bite several times.
"Pam, you have a very deep crossbite and overbite. Due to your age, your bone has unfortunately stopped growing. The very best option for you would be full metal bands with an extraoral device." The chair moving after he spoke made Pam jump a bit.
"I was hoping that we could maybe do regular metal braces?" Her question made the assistant give her a sympathetic smile and pat her shoulder.
Dr. Paul chuckled at this question. "My dear, if we put you in more modern orthodontics, the results just would not be the same. Now, we can start today . I saw that you signed the forms that give us complete control, and I promise that you will love the results. Now my dear, I need you to open please."
Pam opened her mouth to ask some questions, but before she could form a word, the retractor was slipped in, and the Doctor was forcing bands onto her teeth. She began to cry, as each tooth took some time to fit and glue each band onto. An hour into the procedure, a bag was brought to Dr. Paul. The contents made the already upset Pam panic some. When she began crying and shaking her head no, the assistant soothed her by playing with her hair and pulling it into two high pigtails while the facemask headgear was wired in to connect to her braces on the top.
"Pam, I wire in all headgear so that patients cannot cheat my dear. This apparatus will surely help that overbite of yours. I'll also be connecting it to the bottom too. You and I will be seeing a lot of each other the next several years." Pam's loud muffled sobbing and begging continued as elastics were used to apply pressure to the teeth. Pam would never believe what would happen next.
A spool of wire was brought to the doctor who began to thread it between Pam's upper and lower molars, effectively wiring her mouth shut into a position that was uncomfortable. This pressure and positioning made Pam look up at the determined doctor with pleading eyes.
"Oh I know, dear but the perfect smile takes work, and I know from decades of using these devices that they work. Wiring your jaw into place should give us some movement in your bite."
When Pam was finally let go, the people in the waiting room stared at her. She could only determine that her appearance was horrible and shocking. When she reached her car, she took inventory of her new smile and sobbed. Was this worth it?
