Let's get it boys
Chapter 6
The rest of the week consisted of Mom showing me around some of the nicer parts of the city. Most of the city's road were raised and threaded above and below other roads, making for a plethora of unique views of the many cathedrals and older buildings mixed among the newer ones. A lot of these older buildings had a similar red brick exterior that showed its age with vines and discoloration. As we drove through the higher parts of the city, along a few buildings I passed on my drive up, Mom pointed out the local University. This reminded me of what I'd agreed to Tuesday night. I had completely forgotten about it until just now. My thoughts were now railroaded by the possibilities of who I'd see, what appliances Dr. Sinclair would have in store for me, would I even be getting any new appliances?
Tuesday was here once again and I was nervous. Even though I was excited at the prospect of getting a new appliance, I was a little unsure if any would even be able to fit in my mouth. My nervous excitement wasn't helped by the fact that instead of coming in with me, Mom insisted on dropping me off in the mall's parking lot. Now I'd have to walk through the inner portion of the mall packed with people, through the open park within the mall, also packed with people, and I'd have to wait in public for Mom to come back just so she could pick me up again. Honestly it would've been a little less nerve racking if I could drive here myself, but Dr. Sinclair told Mom she'd have to drive me back because of the behavioral modification.
I decided to keep my hair up in high pigtails and wear a pair of bright yellow overalls over a thick burgundy sweater, since it was colder in the clinic last Tuesday. Once Mom dropped me off, I thought about looking at some of the shops in the indoor section of the mall before heading to my orthodontic appointment, since I was relatively early. I quickly reconsidered this thought upon passing a cute looking clothing store as almost the entirety of the store couldn't help but stare at the warmly dressed braceface hoping to peruse their stock. I realized that without Mom walking around with me, being in public with my bright red headgear straps and two facebows was a pretty scary thing, so I ended up bolting towards the entrance to the inner donut of the mall towards the clinic. The thought of covering my braces with the sleeve of my sweater as I walked did cross my mind, but felt silly, because not only would it do nothing for my extra shiny facebows and headgear straps, but I would then run the risk of getting my sweater sleeve caught in my very intricately hooked braces, and then I'd have that problem to worry about. Not to mention, the idea of covering up my braces somehow felt wrong. I was embarrassed about them, sure, but I kind of liked that I couldn't hide them. Only a little bit.
I quickly strode in the direction of the clinic at just the right pace to not seem like I was too in a hurry, though this didn't stop a lot of people from staring at me as I walked. At this point my drooling had gotten a little more under control, as my mouth was getting used to all the new hardware installed last week, but my lisp was as strong as ever just like Dr. Sinclair said. That green plastic ball was certainly doing its job.
As I approached the clinic, I noticed a lot more people than usual present within the waiting room. Most of the chairs were full today. Great, more people to see that I'm a compliance case. As I walked in, I could see these people were, in fact, patients and/or parents waiting for their names to be called. I couldn't see the university students Dr. Sinclair had told Mom about, so I assumed they were in the treatment rooms already. As I approach the check-in, I notice the same girl from last week now sports a cute set of soft purple rubber bands around each of her brackets, the same adorable herbst scopes flex as she calls on me with a smile.
"Checking in Sweetie? What's the name?"
"Aleeshheah Shhehleshhh"
I feel a few heads turn to my direction.
She smiles warmly.
"Try again Sweetie. Take your time."
"Aleeshheah Shhuhleshht"
"Very good Alecia. Please take a seat and Dr. Sinclair will be with you shortly."
Was she required to make me repeat myself? She did the same thing last time. I chose a seat on the inner row of chairs. A few people younger than me had their eyes glued to me. Two even take pictures with the phones. I try not to look at them. Across from me on the other row of chairs is a boy about my age who looks to be enduring a similar situation. He's rather hunched over with his hands by his mouth. I can tell by the red colored reverse pull headgear connected to his bright red full banded braces by thick metal springs that he probably wasn't good about wearing his appliances. He occasionally reaches behind the thick framed glasses, locked to a strap wrapping around his head connecting to his headgear, to rub his eyes as if they're not used to their new grade of vision. He seemed to sway a bit in his seat, looking a bit loopy as he sucks back saliva. He must've just gotten these installed. He catches me staring and averts his eyes, embarrassed for sure. He seems to do a double take upon spotting the colors I was sporting myself. I instinctively smile, I guess trying to make him feel a bit better about his new look. Of course, my lips are caught on my brackets and hooks, but he at least returns the smile with a shy one of his own, revealing a complicated mess of hooks and springs, wrapping all around his full banded smile. Even though I really felt for him, he didn't actually look that bad. He kind of, looked good with them? Something about all of the metal and springs, or maybe the glasses? It was the same with the lady at check-in. She had the same braces as before, but somehow they looked better. Our interaction is cut short by Dr. Sinclair's voice.
"Alecia! I'm glad you're here. If you'd follow me this way, we're ready for you."
I look back to my metal mouthed amigo to wave goodbye, my lips still stuck in a smile. He returns it, discovering his smile too was caught in the springs of his appliances.
I'm led to the same room with the cream colored reclining chair. Instead of just one assistant however, the room is populated with a mass of eager and curious college students my age and above with a mix of shocked and intrigued looks as I'm placed in the chair. Dr. Sinclair explains that these students are studying orthodontics at a special program at the city's university, and that they were especially excited to witness a successful case of behavioral modification practically applied within orthodontics.
As the chair leans back a familiar looking light is brought to hover above my face. I recognize the patterned sticker on the light, with the center dot plainly visible. As an assistant places a clear hissing mask over my face just like last time, Dr. Sinclair explains the setup using strange words and terminology I can't make sense of. They students collectively laugh as she tells some kind of dental joke. Everything's moving slower again. Instead of going straight to using the big light, Dr. Sinclair directs the room's attention to me, propping my mouth open with some kind of plastic apparatus after removing the clear mask. She pokes and prods using some kind of tool as my eyes uncontrollably drift around the room. Three of the ten students extend gloved fingers pointing at a part of my mouth and ask questions that Dr. Sinclair seems happy to answer. After a few minutes or a few hours I can't really tell Dr. Sinclair reaches for something out of view that each of the students look at with intrigue, asking a multitude of questions as she installs it. I can kind of feel her connecting something metal to the sections of my facebows that touch my brackets at the front of my mouth. After this she and the student step back for the part I'm more familiar with. The light's brought closer to my face as Dr. Sinclair says all kinds of stuff I can't make out as the light flashes randomly, all before everything goes black.
As I'm coming to I can feel myself being held upright as someone tweaks my headgear straps, making them loads tighter against my head, pulling my facebows farther back towards my face, but instead of being uncomfortable or hurting, it feels amazing. Like an aching soreness I didn't even know was there was being massaged away. I'm then led to the room with the eye-puffer, and instructed to look at that same dot once again. Loopy me outright refuses, prompting Dr. Sinclair to warmly say
"Alecia, be a good girl and look at the red dot for us."
And I was like okay
PWOOF
Dammit, they got me again.
I can feel the sensation of glasses return as another pair is strapped and locked to my headgear. I make sure to keep my eyes open as best I can this time. What starts out as blurry once again slowly grows clearer as I try to look at things around the room. As I'm led back into Dr. Sinclair's office, I can see the same cadre of bright eyed students looking at me amusingly. I feel one of the assistant wipe my chin. Was I drooling? I try to ask her but something feels off. Must be the loopy.
Dr. Sinclair holds a mirror to me as she explains to both the students and myself what's been installed. She holds my chin to keep my head steady as I notice my mouth is now completely held open by a set of spring wrapped metal frames extending from my top facebow to the bottom on the outside of my mouth, connecting to my front brackets by sets of wiring and bright red plastic. She states the purpose of this is to strengthen the fibers of my jaw by causing them to have to work harder to close in order to eat or speak. I completely miss the name she gives for the appliance in my shock of the new look I have, but weirdly enough, I kind of love it.
She instructs me to try closing my mouth, and I try. With the springs pushing my facebows away from each other, loopy me doesn't have a chance at closing my mouth. I keep trying, producing little squeaks from the springs and scopes now drawing EVEN MORE attention to my mouth. She then explains the stronger grade of lenses my glasses now have, further solidifying the affects of the behavioral modification. Because of the appliances already in my mouth, now my lips are held away even farther apart, further exposing the whole of my orthodontic work for the whole world to see. I can even make out the Sinclair ball behind all the springs, and naturally go for it with my tongue once again. Dr. Sinclair comments that normally this new addition to my menagerie of metal would make speaking horrifically difficult for most patients, but because of my status as a compliance case, I had already gotten ample experience with my lisp thanks to the Sinclair ball, so this wouldn't be too harsh of a change. The student take turns closely examining my new hardware, my mouth now held intimately open for each of them to gawk at as they please. Three of the girls even take pictures. I instinctively smile upon being instructed to by the third.
If I'm being honest, I love it. I'm just not sure how I'm supposed to say my name for the lady at check-in after this.
