When people first meet me, they often ask: “what do you do for a living”. I am a dentist, I respond, but in my head, I am a mother first.
An Inherent Bond
I think it’s in our nature; the need to protect our children and do what’s best for them. My daughter has been the most important human being in my life. And I truly believe that’s what connects all women/all parents – that inherent natural bond with our children that makes all of us always search for answers, solutions, choices, that are better, safer, and less invasive, when it comes to helping our children grow and flourish.
So when my daughter started to loose her beautiful baby teeth (and they were perfect!), and her adult teeth started coming in from all directions, and all rotations, I panicked!!! Many orthodontists I spoke to told me to wait… wait until all her permanent teeth came in so they could put braces on and straighten everything out. But that would be in six years!!!
My Burning Fear
I couldn’t let her go on for 6 years looking like that, and knowing it would get worse. And not just because I knew that things would get worse before they got better. My bigger, more burning fear was that she would be made fun of at school, that the other kids would bother her about her awkward teeth and that would impact her self-esteem.
Could I wait until she was 12 years old to do the braces? Yes. Could I allow 6 years to go by while she was made fun of, bullied, and made to feel insecure for the next 6 years? NO WAY!!! So when I couldn’t find a solution among the specialists in our area, I took matters into my own hands. I went back to school…
Early Treatment
There is a new way of treating orthodontic problems like my daughter’s. It’s called “early treatment” and it’s spreading slowly through Canada. But not quickly enough for my daughter. So I went back to school to learn how to treat kids early, and correct orthodontic problems like thumb-sucking, tongue thrust, mouth breathing, crowding, under-developed jaws, and other problems that show up really early. And 2 years later, my daughter got her solution, her treatment… from her mother.
She loved being the first one in her class to have ortho treatment (I guess it’s a cool thing at the age of 8), and I loved seeing her teeth straighten out and her smile look beautiful within weeks. Her self-esteem is through the roof and she smiles ALL the time. And people think you have to wait till they are 12??? Crazy!
Let’s Chat!
Get your children checked early… 6 years is a long time to wait for self-esteem and confidence to wait to flourish. For more information on early treatment or ortho in general, please don’t hesitate to email me and reach out. From one parent to another, I am here to help!
