Today while my daughter was working I took her children to the orthodontist. The oldest, who is 16, has braces and has been wearing them at least a year now. He was in for his monthly adjustment or check or tightening or rubber band snapping or whatever it is they do to braces. His sister, who is 10, was in for a 6 month check up because they are anticipating that she will have to have braces as soon as all her permanent teeth come in. There's some "crowding" there apparently and her baby teeth are bigger than her permanent ones. Though how you can tell that when the permanent ones haven't come in I don't know. The youngest, who is 9, was just there because he had to be - he didn't want to be and for sure didn't want to be going to the grocery store or to run errands or that kind of stuff. He asked about that the minute he got in my car, just to be reassured that he wasn't going to be forced into shopping with Grandma.
Have you been to the orthodontist lately? Me either. I thought I'd stepped into some new world...a place where the future became now and now became oh dear I'm old. The kids checked themselves in on a computer sitting on the counter for this purpose. They picked up their charts and went right straight back to....well, to .... well, this room where there were multiple dental chairs all set in a row. In one room. Lots of chairs. And lots of dental hygenists wearing little red suits, scrubs I suppose. It was sort of like an army of ants scurrying about. When I go to the dentist I go into a room that has one chair. Just for me. Privacy while I hold my mouth in that wide open awkward position that you never ever want any of your friends to see you doing. In this room children and their mothers are everywhere seeing everyone and everything. Even the 9 year old who didn't have an appointment went back there because that's where they had the video games for you to play while you wait. Video games. In the orthodontist office.
I'm having these horrible visions of the gynocology office of the future. Oh my.
After 4 babies and lots of "looking in" on me in the delivery room, I really have lost all sense of modesty. Video games would be a welcome relief to some of the "games" I've endured while at the gyno. What we women go through!
ReplyDeletepeace~elaine
You crack me up!! I am going to vote that the OBGYN's of the future maybe have t.v.'s in the ceiling. Is that too much to ask? I need the distraction.
ReplyDeleteOh My, what a visual that "vision" of yours gave me. Ugh. I vote for the TV's in the ceiling! That ortho office sounds pretty bizarre. I guess that means I'm getting old too. Ouch!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter's Orthodontist office was like that too. The Dental assistant, or whatever their title is, were on chairs with wheels rolling around between the patients - doesn't sound very sanitary does it?
ReplyDeleteMy daughter's Orthodontist office was like that too. The Dental assistant, or whatever their title is, were on chairs with wheels rolling around between the patients - doesn't sound very sanitary does it?
ReplyDeleteOur 12 yr. old daughter had to 'blow bubbles' with the nurse when getting her shots yesterday -- to take her mind off of needles jabbing her arm. It worked! She barely felt any discomfort. I then jokingly asked if I could 'blow bubbles' with the nurse the next time I have one of those 'female exams'.
ReplyDeleteOrthodontists' offices are very hip these days. They cater to their clients, knowing that mommy and daddy will be hocking the family jewels to pay the bill.....
ReplyDeleteHahahaha - Marlene, your post brightened my day today!!! Love your writing style.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend! :)
One of my girls has braces-and yes orthodontists have come a long way since I had mine!
ReplyDeletehaha. I like one of your commentor's idea about the TV on the ceiling, too. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're to funny!
ReplyDeleteYou let me know what you find at the GYN's office. I don't have to go there anymore. Your post is very humorous and entertaining today!
ReplyDeleteoh...so funny. You make me laugh...but I won't be laughing if your vision comes true....I don't like video games....ha
ReplyDeleteI had orthodontic work in the early 90s and my doc back then had his chairs in a circle so he could sit in the center and the techs worked on the outer part of the circle. The chairs would swivel to whatever position was needed. Well, my hubby being a family doc, I went home and related to him the same idea you came up with...only for a joke, of course!...and we both chuckled. Thank goodness for walls!!!
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