The Spirit of Hannibal Lecter

I admit it. The torture and humiliation DD#1 is currently undergoing in the quest for straight teeth and a correct bite is all my fault. The genes for her high palate are mine. The fact that we waited until she was 17 before we got her braces is mine (I am nominally in charge of the family budget and bill paying).

However, it is not my fault that the headgear her orthodontist is requiring her to wear reminds me of Hannibal Lecter's hockey mask.

Her headgear is designed to pull her front teeth forward, so rather than going around her head, one side rests on her forehead, the other on her chin. Rubber bands connect her front teeth to the metal supports in front of her mouth. She is supposed to wear this contraption 14 hours a day. This means, essentially, whenever she's home. I suppose I don't have to worry too much about her spending the night any where in public--at least not for a month.

On the other hand, this was the child who was a "barracuda" when she was a nursing infant. So I think I'm entitled to a little sniggering!