The words every parent dreads were uttered by the dentist.

She thought she had better give me the name of a good orthodontist.

It couldn't be! My child was only ten! Surely, that was too young for braces!

I expressed my concerns, only to be informed that the braces were for me, to correct a tempomandibular jaw problem.

I'm too old for braces!
I'm an adult; nobody my age wears braces!
Everyone will think I'm strange...
I'm too busy to be tied down to orthodontic visits for two or three years...
I can't afford braces! No insurance plan, certainly not mine, covers adult orthodontics...

The orthodontist patiently listens to my litany before he allays my fears. Many adults are sporting braces; some for cosmetic reasons, others for medical ones. New technologies and accessories have made braces as inconspicuous as one would like. New colours for wires and elastics have made wearing braces as conspicuous as anyone would like. The cost can be spread out over the course of he treatment and isn't always expensive. I could decline treatment. I could delay treatment. I could begin treatment.

Thus began my journey into the wonderful world of braces. The treatment began with plaster moulds of my teeth; oral x-rays, and pictures, for the before period. More pictures would be taken at the end of the treatment. I had teeth removed. I had metal brackets cemented onto each tooth. I had wires threaded through the brackets. I had my choice of elastics: clear or coloured. I chose bubblegum, neon pink. If I had to wear braces, at least I would enjoy it. I could change the colour, I was informed, when I returned the next month for an adjustment.

Could anything feel so strange? So Weird? The brackets caused me to lisp, until I learned the trick to talking around them. The brace wires cut grooves into my cheeks, until they toughened up. The brackets exerted a constant pressure against my teeth that felt uncomfortable, until I grew used to it. Five weeks later, I went in for a fifteen minute adjustment appointment. I took me longer to drive to the office and find parking than it took for the adjustment. The bright pink elastics and the brace wires were removed. The naked brackets felt rough and foreign. My teeth felt loose and hollow. Could anything feel so strange? SO weird? The new wires exerted the now familiar pressure onto my teeth. My pearly whites felt anchored, secured once more. Did I want a new colour this month? You bet! I'll have red and white for Valentine's Day. After all, if I have to have braces, at least I want to enjoy them!

You can check out Deborah's take on life at: www.escape.ca/~cminders/home.htm