Dd wants her braces taken off. What to do? Angst.

[Pooka]

Yesterday dd had an advancsync device fitted to her lower teeth to pull the bottom jaw forward, in conjunction with top and bottom braces. It's permanent. Not remove able.

She hates it. It's sore, she can hardly talk, doesn't sound or look like her. She's got a party to go to tonight, out with friends tomorrow, on school trip abroad in 2.5 weeks.

I hate how upset she is. I'm worried about the timing - lots of things where she wants to have fun and see friends and she was crying this morning that she doesn't want her friends to see her like this. I feel stupid because I had no idea that they would have such a drastic impact.

Can anyone reassure me that things will improve? Really sorry for her. :(

Wish I'd thought to take before pictures. I know the orthodontist has though, obviously.

Pooka - I do understand where you are coming from. An orthodontist wanted my DD to wear a brace because of her slight overbite. I left the decision to her as I was in a bind - I really did think she looked fine as she was - a touch of Patsy Kensits (though not as marked). She took the decision not to go for the brace, particularly as it would have interfered with her instrument playing. I was happy with that and so was she - I have never heard her say she wished she had gone for the brace and she is a grown up now with children. She is very beautiful and has a characterful face.

I do have concerns about the pressure to conform looks-wise. It would be a sad day if everyone had the false US perfect teeth look. Braces used to be confined to those with obviously crooked or deformed teeth, but is creeping towards a clone-like ideal face.

I get that, totally. Right at the beginning I said to the orthodontist that we weren't looking for a perfect American smile, just a healthy one with teeth mostly in right place (I.e canines in position, room for full set of adult teeth) with extraction as last resort. My own experience was pretty brutal - lots of teeth out and then making good. Teeth look ok, but not many of then and still quite crowded - making flossing harder.

Nothing wrong with patsy kensit!