smiles at last

no more monster teeth!
Flea has had awful teeth for years, all her life in fact - her first teeth were awful - they took months and months to come through. Her eye teeth actually came through and then disappeared again and we had to go through teething all over again. Then came the new teeth - they decided to just grow out of whichever bit of mouth was closest. They certainly hadn't read the "where teeth live" handbook. I guess we should be glad that they are all in her mouth and not growing randomly elsewhere. One tooth came through with a horrible yellow mark on it, caused, according to the many dentists I've asked, by a fever she must've had when it was growing. Then she fell off her bike and smashed the bottoms off her new front teeth. Then someone ran into her and put his tooth through her lip, leaving a lumpy scar and knocking one of her teeth out of place. Then she fell off her friends bike and smashed her face up, losing a front tooth in the process (which she stuck back in to a maimed and bleeding gum) and chipping and moving the other one....
She has had dentists appointments on average more than once a month for the last two years. She's had enough x-rays to see right through an army. She has had root canal surgery, teeth removed and a Hannibal Lector style night retainer (restrainer!) fitted and well, actually with three dentists treating her and endless appointments, I've kind of lost track on what she's had done. But, yesterday, she got the first bits of brace put across the front. My those things get your teeth moving!! After only one day she already has a smile that can be considered presentable! Next month she'll get the bottom brace put on and something stronger across the top front. Once everything is straight, the chips will be mended and everything made white and my lovely girl will be able to smile with real pride - not for her straight teeth but for how well she has faced some of her biggest fears to get it.
Luckily, the other two have teeth that don't need this kind of treatment - I'm not sure if I would have time to do this three times over!!