Today is the Day

Today is the day! My 16-year-old is finally getting his braces off.  This kid has had them on since the sixth grade.... he is just wrapping up his sophomore year of high school.  At times, I feel that this is the longest time anyone has ever had braces on before!! He didn't have major problems with his teeth, they were a little crooked and he had a mild overbite but nothing that constituted years of wear.  But in typical Drew fashion, things happen that could only happen to him.

See Drew is my if it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen to him kid.  You know the kid that if the flu is in a 3000-mile radius he gets it... twice.  Or if someone is bleeding or broken, it's him.  Most sentences that concern injury or illness start with, "Mom.... Drew is...". I mean he is the only child I have ever heard of who broke their permanent front tooth by being startled in class and banging their tooth on the desk.  True story... the morning of ITBS of his fifth-grade year, he startled for some unknown reason, banged his face on his desk, and knocked out half his tooth.  Seriously, right!!

His brace experience has been no different.  One such instance, the dental hygienist, when cleaning his teeth, knocked off a bracket.  Weird but ok..... until the orthodontist couldn't get us in right away.  Then we left for our planned vacation and by the time we got back, went to the orthodontist the damage was done.  His timeline was extended and we had new wires and new issues.  Another time, he was playing with the dog.  They play pretty rough as boys and their dogs do.  Well, one thing led to another and the dog and Drew went for the toy at the same time.  The dog raised his head at the same time that Drew lowered his.... you guessed it, his front tooth that was bonded on fell off below the bracket.  Of course! That involved a trip to the ortho to remove the bracket, then the dentist to glue the tooth back on, back to the ortho to have the bracket back on.  The kicker was they couldn't put the wire on for a week or so to let the tooth bond.  So, new timeline, new problems, new issues! Finally, Covid... the gift that keeps on giving.  Drew was scheduled for his final visits two separate times over the quarantine. Of course, they were canceled and his timeline was extended.

But today is the day!! He is getting them off and I can't wait.  I think I may be more excited than he is... that could be because the appointment was scheduled for 8 AM and teenagers don't wake up this early.  Personally, getting up early to get them off is worth it!