Chapter 17: It's for your own good.
Elise's palms were damp with sweat as she was lead back by Hannah whose own lips were stretched over brackets. Elise noticed there was a tray that had straps on it and her breathing increased. She hadn't even noticed Dr. Brandt placing thick wire on the tray, and looking at her records. The straps on the tray made her sick thinking about her highschool life and the crying when she had headgear on. She was so deep in her thoughts that placing a bib on her, being reclined and having the light aimed didn't seem to register.
She only came to when she heard Dr. Brandt snapping gloves on, and looked up to see he and Hannah smiling behind masks. Out of instinct she opened her mouth and went through the routine of opening and closing for what seemed like forever to her.
Dr. Brandt smiled behind his mask and then placed a retractor in Elise's mouth. "Elise, I'm placing a new wire on top and bottom. I'm also going to start making that bite of yours line up."
Elise tried to ask how but her words were garbled and not understandable as the doctor happily pulled out the bite plate causing her to groan in discomfort. Elise's teeth felt like they may come loose as they were freed from the plastic. After a chair gripping cleaning, he began to place bands on all her molars then lace the wire through them.
Hannah held a cervical headgear in Elise's line of vision and handed it to the doctor. "Elise, Dr. Brandt will wire this into your bottom molars. You are to clean your teeth very well every time you eat."
Numb and a bit shocked, Elise only cried while Dr. Brandt wired in the headgear. She looked up at him with watery eyes begging him to have mercy on her. When she was sat up she rubbed her sore teeth and sniffed. "Dr, how long will I have to be like this?"
Dr. Brandt smiled , shooing her out of the room. "You know we don't talk time tables, dear. I can tell you that with the banded brackets and the headgear, it can extend treatment longer than I usually prefer." Elise's hands shook as she left and scheduled the next of what would be several appointments.
When Elise left, the doctor turned to Hannah and patted the chair. "Your turn, darling. Have a seat. I need to see if you're wearing those rubber bands or not."
