Klarinet Archive - Posting 000027.txt from 2010/01

From: "Kevin Fay" <kevin.fay.home@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Braces
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2010 01:17:27 -0500

I have 3 kids - 12, 11 and 9. The two oldest have been through a series of
orthodontia.

Not content to have spent only $15K on their teeth, I decided (on the advice
of my dentist) to get some braces too. Seems that I have/had a mandibular
occlusion - a big overbite with jaws that didn't meet each other quite
right. Between wanting to be rid of the headaches and a strong desire to be
able to chew as a senior citizen, I now have a set of railroad tracks on my
top teeth.

For the last umpteen years, my upper teeth were quite crowded. They're now
lined up like little soldiers, just the way my orthodontist intended.

One side effect of the treatment so far is that my mouthpieces don't work
for me any more. The drawer full of custom pieces is now a nicely matched
set of door stops.

The good news is that a commercial mouthpiece is working really, really
well. I'm using a Pomarico sapphire (that says "MELLOW" on the back). I
tried a pile of mouthpieces - including the Pomarico sapphire "BRIGHT" that
didn't project as well - and for less than a hundred bucks, I sound better
than ever.

Next month, I get the lower teeth started. Because my upper lip is already
torn up from the brackets, I've chosen to try the "Invisalign" treatment for
my lower teeth in the hope that it will be easier to play.

I have a new level of respect for all of those middle-school kids now.

kjf

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