Why Don't You Smile?

We've had our follow up appointments (yes, insurance approved our treatments) at the dentist this week, and what a nice dentist the Syrian guy we are seeing is.  He was so sweet with the kids, despite their crying (they each needed to get their molars sealed), and encouraged the others to watch and ask questions and me to take photos to send to daddy to show how big and brave they were.

Clean!

Tiger was undoubtedly the star of the show.  She volunteered to go first, she sat there, she didn't make a peep, and twenty minutes later she's cleaned, sealed, and fluorided up.  The others, though... boy... In fairness to Lightning he is young and it did feel like quite a while he had to open his mouth for.  He was quick to say the tears rolling down his cheek by the third tooth had nothing to do with being sore, just with him not wanting to hold his mouth open any more.  But Toots: different story.  I guess she's got adult teeth coming in and everything is so much more sensitive and she'd already ended up crying just at the checkup, but talk about working yourself up and making it all worse.  It was very much like the time she needed to get a shot when she five.  Both Tiger and Lightning sat there no problem, but when it was her turn it ended up needing both an extra nurse and me holding her down amidst her wailing.  I mean she had worked herself up in to such a state that she became her own worst enemy.  Then and now.

But at least that's us done for six months.

Take a picture of me too!

Anyway, my turn this morning to get a crown replaced (for some reason, I can't remember why now but when I questioned it earlier I did agree with what the dentists reasoning.  One of the problems with foreigners doing everything though is that stuff definitely gets lost in translation).  Afterwards I decided to see the orthodontist about getting my sticky out front tooth, which is getting worse, pushed back and as expected I'll need train tracks to fix it.  In fact this orthodontist, although Indian by descent, is British so it was nice to be able to say train tracks and know she knew what I meant, or confirm my next appointment as half twelve, rather than 12.30.  Small things maybe, but to Brits abroad they count!!  So, I'm gonna wait to see what insurance says, and then it's just down to my own vanity.  I mean do I want a fixed brace top and bottom for the next eighteen months?  Is it worth it to have a straighter smile and teeth for the next thirty years?  Will a less noticeable tooth make me less self concious?  It's not like I know many people here yet so I might as well get it done, but will it just be so much worse meeting new people with a mouth full of metal?  And, will they not hurt? Will I need those bits of wax that we used to see all teenagers wear to stop the metal rubbing the inside of the mouth??  Are braces not for 14 year olds instead of 34 year olds?  Is kissing still the same?  You know, those important things I wonder about!

So... we'll see...