Mouthwear Stories: A Braces Vacation

This story was retrieved from the old M's Mouthwear website from an internet archive.

A Braces Vacation

It is said “when in Rome do as the Romans do” so last year when I took a vacation to a resort on the Mexican Riviera I couldn’t resist indulging in the local trends. The vacation began with a unique greeting when I checked into the hotel. The handsome clerk at the check in counter smiled widely with his teeth almost completely hidden behind metallic bands and wires. It was a shocking contrast to what I was expecting, yet he exuded such confidence and pride in his smile regardless of what appeared to be extensive orthodontic work. Usually braces are small metal brackets bonded to the teeth, he was wearing braces that were attached to metal bands that were wrapped around each tooth. In totality, the effect was like a mouthful of sparkling gemstones. Then I saw the same style of braces on a waitress at a local restaurant and later on several girls at the local clubs. Their smiles were absolutely electric, I had previously never seen so much highly polished metal in a smile. My imagination drifted as I shopped around the local flea markets for jewelry. None of the jewelry was as interesting as the braced smiles of some of the salespersons I occasionally saw around the market place. It captured my imagination and the more I thought about it the more I wanted my smile embellished with braces. Back at the resort as I was pampered in the spa, loafed on the beach and danced in the evening, I saw more sparkling teeth. I finally couldn’t resist to approach the clerk in the lobby and ask him where his orthodontist was located. He obliged me with the address and telephone number of Dr. Reyes. My fantasy of getting my teeth decorated was becoming more intense and consequently more difficult to resist. I imagined that if the price was right I could get the braces for the remainder of my vacation and then have them removed by my dentist when I returned from vacation. Locally Dr. Reyes’ braces seemed to be a prestigious status symbol and I just had to get them.

The concierge arranged an initial consultation for me with Dr. Reyes and a taxi to take me there. I wanted to know what the allure of this ortho's office was. I was amazed when entered the reception area 'It was so wild to be in there amongst so many glittering smiles' I can't explain how I felt but it is probably the same feeling that drives people to get tattoos or body piercing. I was shaking all over with a nervousness that is also unexplainable. When I approached the receptionist and she smiled. I couldn't help but smile back at her so she could see my teeth. I don't speak Spanish but she noticed my crooked teeth without braces and knew why I was there. I gave her my name and some notes the concierge had written explaining my appointment. I’m not sure if it was my nervousness or her accent but when she finally called my name I didn’t notice. She finally pointed me out to one of the assistants and I was escorted into this really cool room with large windows looking overlooking the Pacific ocean. The chairs were soft and comfortable from years of previous patients. The doctor finally looked at my teeth and jotted down some notes. Just like that I was done! I was brought back to the receptionist’s desk and she filled out a form for me. I couldn't understand any of it and of course the prices were all in pesos and I couldn’t calculate the exchange rate . When I left I was laughing inside, I was thinking how cool it would be to have my teeth decorated with Dr. Reyes’ braces. Well.... when I got back to the hotel the concierge smiled at me enviously and interpreted the diagnosis for me. The good news was, the price for the braces was only $500.00! The bad news was, I had to get my dental records and x-rays to their office before they would start, so I knew it wouldn't happen on this trip. I couldn't help thinking about it the rest of the vacation especially when I noticed some of Dr. Reyes' work around town.

I returned back to the States and for a year my thoughts would wander back to that office, all of those glittering smiles and what it would be like to be one of them. A year later (two months ago) I sent my records to Dr. Reyes' office with a letter a friend had helped me write in Spanish. I flew in the day before my appointment. The next morning grabbed a cab to the office and again I was shaking with nervous delight. I thought for sure when I left I would have the 'OH MY GOD!!!' smile. Not so quick. They made impressions and a few x-rays and then put some separators in all of my back teeth. Told me to come back next week. The next day I went to the beach and spa during the day and in the evening I hit all the clubs for some dancing. The second day I lived on pina colades because my teeth were aching sooo bad. The next appointment they took out the separators and banded all of my molars. Then they put some separators between my bicuspids. The molar bands were almost impossible to see but I couldn’t help but know they were there. My tongue played with them all day and the inside of my cheeks became a little irritated. The next appointment they banded all of my bicuspids. When they were finished I could finally see some sparkling silver on the on the sides of my smile. Finally the end of the third week came and I knew that when the separators came out of my front teeth I would have the smile I had dreamed of for a year. I returned for the last appointment and by now I knew the system well. The chair reclined, in went the lip retractor and some cotton rolls. I could feel them removing the separators from my top teeth. I could feel them slide each band over the surface of each tooth and then they removed them and slid them back into place (this time with cement) I knew the cement was drying and yet I was so relaxed and comfortable with what was happening. I could see two assistants with braces smiling at me in approval of my “New Look”. Next they did the bottom and asked me to relax for a while before they attached the arch wires. When they were finished they sat me up and handed me a mirror. Unbelievable! If was as if my teeth were gone. There was bright sparkly metal everywhere. I ran my tongue over my teeth and the fronts and backs of the bands.

The rest of the vacation I danced every night and sparkled everyday with a smile that shocked and entranced every 'gringo and gringa' that caught a glimpse. Now I'm back in the States and checking out sites on braces to decide what to do next and I ran across your web site. I know that the longer I keep my flashy braces on the straighter my teeth will be. I also know that I can have them removed at any time and return back to my same old crooked teeth. I believe that it is the ability to have this option that keeps me smiling as confidently as are all of Dr. Reyes’ other patients. To date I’ve located a local orthodontist willing to continue my treatment for $100.00 per appointment for as long as I wish. I suppose there are others out there that are saying. “God I'd love to take a vacation on the Mexican Riviera and get my teeth decorated like that just to feel what its like.” ~ Sandy

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