Dental Appliance

Ben pronounces "REGULAR" like this: "REGLIAR" and he pronounces the word "BINOCULARS" this way: "BINOCLIARS". He also cannot enunciate the "shhh" sound properly (thanks overbite). Is it wrong of me to think this is funny and cute, and to ask him to say these words just so I can hear him do it? Is it the equivalent of my mother and grandmother taking me to department stores in the 70s, dressing me in ridiculous outfits, and laughing at me? Is it? Because so far, I have avoided antagonizing him about it.

The kids began visiting the dentist at about 10 months old. I was adamant that they go after they each had 2 teeth. They went, and I was told when they were maybe....I don't know...2...that they'd both need work done. Hm...

Alya has a cross bite which will require an appliance in a couple of years. Ben has an excessively noticeable overbite that will require braces at 11 or 12. Ben...I'm sold....Alya...I want more info. Any of you parents out there know anything about this? It seems painful, and I am not sure how necessary it is. I will, of course, ask more questions of the dentist, but, for now, I want other parents' input.

You know, when I was young, I wanted braces so badly...and glasses....but the braces are the thing here. I remember asking if I could get them and being so sad when I was told "no". One day, while I was out for my daily bike ride (sidenote here, how do 8 year old children end up so pudgy, er um, husky, even when they exercise every single day...what was I eating?) I found a piece of metal on the road. It was long and thin and cylindrical.....perfect retainer....Now, for whatever reason, I had a Crown Royal bag hanging off the front of my bicycle. I took that metal and molded it around my top teeth and curled it around the back of my molars and had myself a homemade retainer. I was so proud. I'd put it in that crown royal bag before I went inside so my mother didn't see it, because I knew having that metal in my mouth was wrong, I just did not know why.

I'm surprised the guilt didn't eat me. Maybe she figured it out before my OCD kicked in. Whatever happened, my relationship with the homemade retainer was short lived. I remember getting in trouble and feeling sad that my dental appliance was gone.

Years later I'd be given a small retainer for my front bottom teeth as I have two adult teeth that never came in (thus the huge gap between my bottom teeth).....the plastic container it is in reads: 'dental appliance'...my husband wrote 'luxurious' in front of it because he knew how special it made me feel to finally have a mouthpiece as such. I never stuck with it, though...it just hurt way too bad.

So...I know the braces are inevitable. Can I get away without stretching Alya's entire mouth roof though??? Thoughts.....