Let the Pushing and Pulling Begin!

No, I am not referring to a catfight on the set of MTV Real World Bangalore (see first post for reference), but rather to the new sparkling accessory that I have been sporting for the last week: my braces!

You read that right. I decided that after years of thinking about it and putting it off that I should finally take the plunge and fix my crooked teeth once and for all. They really weren’t too bad, but I am vain and I want them to be perfect so I thought that my next 6-8 months in India would be a good time to just do it and get it done. It also helps that the costs in India are about 10% of what they are in the US for the same procedure, a fact that probably didn’t make Eva too happy considering what she shelled out to her orthodontist, but certainly made it an easier choice for me.

I just needed braces on the bottom teeth and I opted for clear brackets and a tooth-colored white, so fortunately, they are not too noticeable, at least not compared to the mouths of metal that all of my friends had back when we were 14 (Grace, I didn’t know you then, but I can only imagine!). I decided to go for clear rubber bands to keep with the neutral look, much to Rajni’s dismay (she wanted me to go for alternating blue and gold rubber bands…a good idea for maybe Big Game week, but I think that I will pass on that for now). I am going to have them on for 6 months, so I will be getting them off around October of this year, and I have been told that the first few months are the worst, so all I am concentrating on now is making it through to June!

Side point = you would be amazed at the selection that one really has when it comes to braces and the related paraphernalia these days. It’s not just colored retainers any more! I was browsing the American Orthodontics catalog as I was waiting for my appointment yesterday and was surprised to find such diverse offerings including a wildlife-inspired set of rubber bands with colors inspired by fish, bears, birds and frogs and my favorite: 24 karat gold plated braces with matching wires and rubber bands, just in case P. Diddy or one of his wannabes decides that he needs orthodontic care but doesn’t want to sacrifice his street style. You gotta love that.

Now, my dentist and I may be biased, but I really don’t think that my braces look that bad (I will take a picture and post it up soon). Of course, she makes the point of telling me how pretty I look, how nice my lip gloss color is, or how cute my top is every time I come in for a visit (which has been about 5 times in the last 10 days, so that is a significant amount of positive reinforcement or at least deflection). Most of her patients are adults, so I guess she gets how self-conscious people can feel and is trying to make all of us feel better!

I appreciate it and it’s nice, but honestly I don’t feel that self-conscious yet, mostly because I realize that other people just don’t really care enough to notice or comment on my teeth. And thankfully all of my friends back home have been really supportive and encouraged me to do it, especially Eva and Grace. My parents are still confused, but then again I think that they are baffled by most of the things that I do in India (or anywhere else for that matter), so at least they are consistent in their reactions towards my life, which is really all you can ask for in this day and age, you know?

So far it hurts a little, but it’s more like an overall soreness than any serious pain. My dentist assured me that it is a good thing: if I didn’t feel those little guys moving around, then how would my teeth get straight? Anyway, I am basically restricted to soft foods these days and I need to cut everything up and put it in my mouth (including bananas as I discovered as I was trying to eat my breakfast on the way to work this morning). But thankfully I live in South India and there is no shortage of yogurt/tomato/lemon/tamarind rice, pongal, daal, biselebath, sambar, etc. to keep my tummy full for the next few months, so it should not be a problem.

Anyway, I am excited and feel productive that I am finally doing this and I cannot wait to see the results in just 6 months! By the time that I go home to the US in December, I will have a brand new perfect smile!

Well, wish me luck with my braces and please leave me a comment with your suggestions to lessen the soreness!

PS How does everyone feel about John Edwards staying in the presidential race given his wife’s illness? Does he really think that this is going to help his (dismal) chances of winning? I mean, what is it with arrogant, self-absorbed North Carolinian presidential-wannabes who don’t care about their families or the people they say that they love (perhaps a few of you got that reference…)? Clearly, I am being judgmental and I do think that it’s between him and his family, but I can’t even imagine the conversations that must have taken place at his home when the decision to stay in was made and what exactly he was thinking. I definitely have some thoughts about this…perhaps the topic for my next entry.

A.B.

Listening to: Old Hindi music from the 1960s – Love it!
Reading: The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid by CK Prahalad – super fascinating for any neoliberal private-sector-loving capitalist with a heart, like me 