Orthodontics!

Well, folks, the verdict is in: Madeline has the same mouth structure as Evan and I. Sorry, Baby! According to the dentist at our last check up, it was time to see the orthodontist. And according to him, Madeline has big beautiful teeth and no place to put them. I was having flashbacks as we sat in the conference. Changes in technology meant that we could get digital X-rays and pictures and review them in the same visit. However, nothing has changed the fact that a small mouth with lots of grown up teeth coming in has to be widened. And so, this fall Maddie will be fitted with a palate expander that will widen the roof of her mouth. This time I will be the one turning the "key." Then, she will be in four braces to move the four front teeth back to the center and allow all the new space to fill up with the three grown up teeth that are currently trying to cram into the space vacated by one baby tooth. (You should see the X-rays!)

On Monday, Madeline has to go in to the dentist to have a baby tooth extracted. It would normally come out in about a year or so, but hers has to go now because there just isn't room for it anymore. It's twin on the other side is a little loose, so she has the summer to try to wiggle it out herself. Otherwise, it's dental pliers for that one, too. Everybody wish her luck! The whole thing should take a year. After that it's a wait and see game to see how the big teeth come in. I'm pretty sure we'll be back to his office a few years later.

Well, I've gotta go. I'm going to be collecting donations in my hat outside the local grocery store...

(Okay, random side note: the orthodontist we are going to grew up in Warsaw, Indiana, and knows of my orthodontist from way back when. Weird, small world!)