Braces

For everything there is a timeline, but none so befitting as braces to that awkward pre-teen to teenager phase when everyone is so fond of laughing at others and forgetting their own transition.  Braces, the painful little brackets glued to each tooth and drawn together to correct tooth position, make the wearer weary of smiling all the time. You see, braces, at an age when hormones are playing roller coaster with your emotions, make sure that there’s always a smile on your face, even at the lowest of lows, because those neat, painful brackets are pulling at your gums and your mouth seems to think it’s worth smiling about. 1

Now don’t think that a crackling, squeaking voice is all you have to worry about, because hormones aren’t the only thing that’s going to alter how you talk. Those metal wonders glued to your teeth will seem to expand as you try to speak, slurring your words and causing you to spit, which, mind you, is very unattractive. So you can forget about your ideas of talking to pretty little whats-her-face unless you want to spew this morning’s corn flakes on her. 2

Could braces come at any worse time? I hardly think it’s possible. Middle school teens with all their awkward, sweaty, greasy, uneven, inexperienced handicaps must be looked at as still-oblivious children whose lives aren’t affected by a little speech impediment inducing dental ware. Middle school is a time of adjustment, but how much change can a single hormone-plagued early teenager take? Well, adults don’t seem to understand. To them, the more adjustments the better. And if we can get it all fixed at once, well that just saves time.