Getting Braces

I hate the phrase "think outside the box"; my thought processes are unusual enough that sometimes I can't even find the box. Like my decision to get braces, for example.

"You need a root canal". A problem with my bite had killed a front tooth, as a dentist had noticed when I was a teenager. Now the decay was spreading and it was time to do something about it.

I've been staring at my own reflection for years, as an awkwardly self-conscious professional performer is wont to do. It always seemed like there was as much overlap on my lower front teeth as there was gap covered by the problem tooth. So, without council to do so, I got an orthodontic opinion.

It turns out the micrometer agreed with me, that braces could fill the hole caused by extracting the problem. And, as with many of my decisions, I second-guessed myself. I decided to go with the root canal, talking to my dentist about my various investigations before the procedure. She took a look and advised me that orthodontics was a better choice, that a root canal and cap would just end up damaging other teeth if I didn't correct my bite.

So I had the tooth pulled (an adventure in itself), and voila. It's going to be an interesting 24 months.