Before and After

Nearly two years ago, in January 2012, an 11 year-old JT got braces on his teeth.  Freshly metaled up that morning, he was rather excited about the affair, feeling like braces were a rite of passage.  He was at least willing to partake.  His first set of bands matched the Baltimore Ravens football team colors.  

In the months in between, the band colors regularly changed.  And each month,  I've made a picture of the boy on the day that we visited his very patient orthodontist.  This picture is from last December, when rubber bands were first introduced.

Yesterday, a month earlier than we expected, the braces came off.  I made a picture, of course.  From the looks of it, a lot has changed in the last two years.

Last night, as he was working his way through the pile of bubble gum and caramel that T and I got him to celebrate, JT said to me, "two years passed so fast."  I couldn't have said it better myself.

McBraces

Last month, when JT's braces were first placed on his teeth, I made a picture of the shiny new wires and elastics (he went with bright blue and orange for the first month). 

On that day last month, we decided that I would make his picture each month, a record of the changes that seem to be coming our way far faster than I expected.  Today, he got his second set of elastics.  He chose red and gold in honor of Harry Potter, whose theme park we'll be visiting next week.

Things are coming along nicely.  McBraces even got himself a complement for his quality brushing and flossing….and that alone is a miracle that might be worth the thousands of dollars that straight teeth will cost me.