tenlittlebullets | (no subject)

So, I wonder who the first orthodontist was. The first sadistic individual to try to twist innocent kids' teeth into being straight--how was it done? Why? Why was it considered so important?

To that end, why do we consider it so important now? So someone's teeth aren't perfectly straight... is this enough of a medical crisis to justify spending so much money and causing so much pain? I couldn't eat solid food for a week after getting my braces on; my teeth were in constant pain; every time I got them fucked around with or had to wear elastics I was back to compulsively popping ibuprofen and unable to eat anything besides rice and jello for a couple days. For that much pain and hassle I'd expect to be treated for something a bit more debilitating than having a few teeth out of alignment. If so many kids are born with imperfect teeth that this orthodontic torture is considered a rite of passage, why isn't the condition looked on as normal? Why so much effort to move stuff around a few millimeters at most, if it doesn't cause any harm to leave them and lots of kids are born with crooked teeth anyway?

As you might have guessed, my retainers are causing me serious pain. I thought this shit was over, dude. And it's twice as bad as when I got my braces on because back then I couldn't take 'em off. Now not only are my teeth screaming at me, I have to manfully resist the temptation to just say "fuck it" and take them out.

*runs to fetch more painkillers* Why, lord, WHY?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Believe it or not, there are legitimate reasons for orthodontia, and not all are cosmetic. For example, my teeth and jaw were misshapen in a way that made it almost impossible for me to breathe through my nose. Some conditions can make eating difficult, and some, when uncorrected, can get worse and cause pain if uncorrected.

Yeah, I know that in some cases it's important and necessary--but not most. My teeth were rather out of line, but it wasn't causing me any problems breathing or eating, my parents just wanted me to have straight teeth. It's cases like that that make me want to throw up my hands and go "WTF."

Ugh, I can sympathize completely, as I just went to the orthodontist today. Luckily, I've worn my retainers just often enough for him to think I'm wearing them all the time, so he didn't adjust them. *relief*

But yeah. You name an othodontal treatment, and I've had it done. Expander, braces, retainer... Hell, I even got oral surgery to top it off. Heh.

I was one of those rare cases (heh) who actually do need braces and whatnot, cause my teeth were seriously messed up. But yeah, you make a point. My friend's dentist has been bugging her for years to get braces because her lower teeth are crooked, and she's refused, cause they're not causing her problems and no one can see them most of the time. The whole thing is dumb. And fucking expensive...