John David and Abbie Grace Engaged 2: Planes, petals, and proposals

[louisa05]

On 7/9/2018 at 6:34 AM, SapphireSlytherin said:

I have my wisdom teeth, but I did have eight (yes, 8 - four molars, four premolars) teeth pulled as part of my braces-adventure at 13. My wisdom teeth came in when I was 12. I had a kid-sized jaw with 32 HUGE teeth. My teeth are much wider/larger than typical, which is why I had two complete rows of teeth - they had nowhere to go.

As an adult, my jaw is still small. My dentist has to use child-sized tools/x-ray holders/etc.

I have had 8 teeth removed including wisdom teeth. There was nowhere for all of my teeth to go. The four removed before wisdom teeth were layered with going to be layered above (uppers) and below (lowers) other teeth. Basically, on top, I would have had fangs and on bottom, there would have been teeth protruding into my lip. 

The 24 teeth I do have as an adult are so close together it is hard to even get floss between them. 

But, yes, orthodontia is absolutely cosmetic and it is too bad that I am the product of tooth obsessed American parents who got that mess fixed. 

[Knight of Ni]

She’s had no exposure to algebra? I knew their education was sub par but I didn’t know it was to that extent. That makes me so incredibly sad for them. Sad for the wasted potential and limited opportunities. It also makes me so angry that Jim Bob and Michelle not only knowingly and deliberately crippled their children but ate so proud of it. If their education in math was so lacking I can only imagine the rest of their education. 

[SapphireSlytherin]

2 minutes ago, Knight of Ni said:

She’s had no exposure to algebra?

But she's damn-sure learned about bankruptcy.

[EmmieJ]

1 hour ago, louisa05 said:

I have had 8 teeth removed including wisdom teeth. There was nowhere for all of my teeth to go. The four removed before wisdom teeth were layered with going to be layered above (uppers) and below (lowers) other teeth. Basically, on top, I would have had fangs and on bottom, there would have been teeth protruding into my lip. 

The 24 teeth I do have as an adult are so close together it is hard to even get floss between them. 

But, yes, orthodontia is absolutely cosmetic and it is too bad that I am the product of tooth obsessed American parents who got that mess fixed. 

Hey - we share something in common!  When I was 19, I finally saved up enough money to afford braces for my very crowded mouth.  Before I could get the braces, I had to have 8 teeth removed - my four impacted wisdom teeth, and two teeth from the upper and two from the lower (the two upper teeth removed were fang-like).  However, I don't have the problem you mentioned with flossing.

The bad news for me is that my two front teeth have very shallow roots and there is a strong possibility that one or both may loosen and fall out at some point.  I guess I'd have to decide then if I wanted (and could afford) dental implants, or get a bridge.  But for now, they are fine.

Are you sorry that you had orthodentia?  Your last comment sounded like it.  I had always disliked the way my teeth looked and rarely smiled in pictures (but totally forgot when with friends and there are tons of candid photos of me laughing with my mouth wide open, plus people who knew me in high school remember me as always smiling, so I guess I wasn't that ashamed!).  So when I was finally able to afford it, that was #1 on my list of things to get done.

[bekkah]

Teeth culture in America is fascinating to me. What makes it interesting is that we have no idea what the whitening agents are doing to our bodies and it’s a area of research interest for many. 

 

I drink a lot of coffee. I brush twice a day. My teeth aren’t perfect and I prefer them that way.  Americans are a bit over obesssed with the whole teeth thing. 

[littlemommy]

1 hour ago, EmmieJ said:

Hey - we share something in common!  When I was 19, I finally saved up enough money to afford braces for my very crowded mouth.  Before I could get the braces, I had to have 8 teeth removed - my four impacted wisdom teeth, and two teeth from the upper and two from the lower (the two upper teeth removed were fang-like).  However, I don't have the problem you mentioned with flossing.

The bad news for me is that my two front teeth have very shallow roots and there is a strong possibility that one or both may loosen and fall out at some point.  I guess I'd have to decide then if I wanted (and could afford) dental implants, or get a bridge.  But for now, they are fine.

Are you sorry that you had orthodentia?  Your last comment sounded like it.  I had always disliked the way my teeth looked and rarely smiled in pictures (but totally forgot when with friends and there are tons of candid photos of me laughing with my mouth wide open, plus people who knew me in high school remember me as always smiling, so I guess I wasn't that ashamed!).  So when I was finally able to afford it, that was #1 on my list of things to get done.

I bought myself braces the moment I got a real job and started getting a paycheck. I also refused to smile showing teeth and I wasn't going to live the rest of my life that way if I could help it. The upside of being an adult was that I still wear my retainers religiously at night--that stuff was expensive!

[potato]

I had a few crooked/slightly turned teeth and had braces for my last two years of high school (I got them off about a month before graduation).  They weren't necessary, but one of the twisted teeth in particular didn't align too well with the tooth below it so biting was sometimes uncomfortable.  I make sure to brush twice a day and floss once a day (most of the time) and wear my retainer almost every night; I don't want to undo two years of dental work (as well as all the money and discomfort that went into it).  

Honestly, I don't care enough to whiten my teeth.  I drink a ton of coffee/tea anyway, so it wouldn't really be worth it even if I did care.

[VelociRapture]

About teeth:

I had a ton of baby teeth pulled because my mouth is on the small side. I’d cuddle my favorite stuffed animal while it was done and my Dentist (who I still see today) always gave me prizes for being so brave about it. I ended up with braces twice because the Orthodontist put me in some weird mouth guard I couldn’t breathe in - my teeth got messed up from that. I stopped using the retainer she gave me sometime after my second round of braces were off because I was just so done with all that stuff at that point - it had been years of dental and orthodontia work and I was sick of all of it. My teeth aren’t straight and I kind of prefer that since I feel like it gives my face character. I’m far more concerned with whether they’re healthy and clean (they are) then whether they’re straight.

I’ll occasionally use whitening strips, but mostly just before big events - like my wedding or my grandparents’ anniversary party last month. Otherwise I’m normally ok with the way they look, so long as they’re clean. I feel like a bad American for feeling that way. 

[louisa05]

6 hours ago, EmmieJ said:

Hey - we share something in common!  When I was 19, I finally saved up enough money to afford braces for my very crowded mouth.  Before I could get the braces, I had to have 8 teeth removed - my four impacted wisdom teeth, and two teeth from the upper and two from the lower (the two upper teeth removed were fang-like).  However, I don't have the problem you mentioned with flossing.

The bad news for me is that my two front teeth have very shallow roots and there is a strong possibility that one or both may loosen and fall out at some point.  I guess I'd have to decide then if I wanted (and could afford) dental implants, or get a bridge.  But for now, they are fine.

Are you sorry that you had orthodentia?  Your last comment sounded like it.  I had always disliked the way my teeth looked and rarely smiled in pictures (but totally forgot when with friends and there are tons of candid photos of me laughing with my mouth wide open, plus people who knew me in high school remember me as always smiling, so I guess I wasn't that ashamed!).  So when I was finally able to afford it, that was #1 on my list of things to get done.

I am forever grateful to my parents for getting it done and getting it started early so I never had to live with fangs. My decade of orthodontic treatment started at age 9. 

My last sentence was in reference to previous posters going on about Americans getting braces only because we are unduly obsessed with straight teeth. 

[Jana814]

I lost all my baby teeth by the time I was 10. I got braces at the end of 5th grade then had them till October of when I was 13. I got them off about a month before my bat Mitzvah. I had a classmate in school who never lost her baby teeth. I think her kids are following in her same footsteps. 

[Rachel333]

What? No one is saying that braces are only ever done for cosmetic reasons or that it's always bad to get braces (I personally had braces and have very straight teeth now), and I've only even seen one person say it's bad to get braces for purely cosmetic reasons. The problem is when people are stigmatized for not getting braces. The American obsession with perfectly straight teeth hurts a lot of people who can't afford braces or dental care.

[louisa05]

3 minutes ago, Rachel333 said:

What? No one is saying that braces are only ever done for cosmetic reasons or that it's always bad to get braces (I personally had braces and have very straight teeth now), and I've only even seen one person say it's bad to get braces for purely cosmetic reasons. The problem is when people are stigmatized for not getting braces. The American obsession with perfectly straight teeth hurts a lot of people who can't afford braces or dental care.

It is not typically cosmetic. My correction was not cosmetic. The way my teeth were coming in would have met I could never close my mouth and would have had a lot of difficulty eating. The bottom teeth that were coming in pushing straight out toward my lip would have caused constant pain. 

There was no obsession with perfectly straight teeth involved and that is actually the case for a huge number of orthodontia patients. Misaligned teeth can cause issues with chewing, swallowing, nutrition, speech, jaw pain, increased tooth decay and even chronic headaches. The problem in the U.S. is not an obsession with perfectly straight teeth; it is with a shitty health care system that forces people to suffer when they cannot afford the necessary care. 

[Rachel333]

6 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

It is not typically cosmetic. My correction was not cosmetic. The way my teeth were coming in would have met I could never close my mouth and would have had a lot of difficulty eating. The bottom teeth that were coming in pushing straight out toward my lip would have caused constant pain. 

There was no obsession with perfectly straight teeth involved and that is actually the case for a huge number of orthodontia patients. Misaligned teeth can cause issues with chewing, swallowing, nutrition, speech, jaw pain, increased tooth decay and even chronic headaches. The problem in the U.S. is not an obsession with perfectly straight teeth; it is with a shitty health care system that forces people to suffer when they cannot afford the necessary care. 

Right, and literally no one is saying that it's always cosmetic. For a lot of people it isn't, and my braces weren't purely for cosmetic reasons either.

But there is an obsession with perfectly straight, white teeth in the US that isn't present in other countries, even ones with excellent health care. Plenty of people have healthy teeth and bites that aren't perfectly straight or white. And yes, that obsession absolutely is a problem when a cosmetic preference becomes a class marker.

[JillyO]

34 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

My last sentence was in reference to previous posters going on about Americans getting braces only because we are unduly obsessed with straight teeth. 

Literally not a single person said anything negative about medically necessary orthodontia. We were all talking explicitly about unnecessary, purely cosmetic procedures, and even then I don't think anybody said anything negative about people who have those. Just that a lot of us wish American society at large wasn't so obsessed with what other peoples' teeth look like. Everyone can do with their own teeth whatever they damn well please.

No idea why you're trying so hard to find a reason to be offended.

[jqlgoblue]

Regarding the no-Algebra thing, I found a website (homeschooler's anonymous for anyone interested) with most of the 50 Wisdom Booklets ATI uses. I'd seen a screen shot of one of them before, but going thru them a bit more is insightful. If that is all these kids learn K-12 they are seriously screwed. It is so so little info and what is in there isn't practical at all. It's like expecting to read the bible as their only source/learning material and then expect it to teach them something that allows them to get a modern day job. Anyway, I seriously hope that can't be it. I can't fathom how a country can allow this. They were that horrible.

Also, non-teeth convo, but my hope is Abbie/JD (while I expect nothing less than ATI shenanigans from them) can be a gateway for Jana to find a guy. I know people have said she has had many men interested, and I'm sure she has, but I think they're probably not great for a number of reasons ... TV stalkers ... people her sister's suggest and I don't think they necessarily have the right circles / are super generous. I think her being a bit more like JD/Abbie could mean there might be a gateway there. This too may be wishful thinking, sadly, b/c I think it's more likely they end up in AK vs. OK (also probably not great for keeping that nursing license). Also, they are more reserved.

[SapphireSlytherin]

I can't imagine they'd end up in Alaska. Lol

[KelseyAnn]

15 hours ago, Rachel333 said:

Right, and literally no one is saying that it's always cosmetic. For a lot of people it isn't, and my braces weren't purely for cosmetic reasons either.

But there is an obsession with perfectly straight, white teeth in the US that isn't present in other countries, even ones with excellent health care. Plenty of people have healthy teeth and bites that aren't perfectly straight or white. And yes, that obsession absolutely is a problem when a cosmetic preference becomes a class marker.

Women get breast augmentation all the time and no one gives this shit about it. 

Seriously, let people do what they want to do to their bodies - as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, it's nobody's business. 

My little sister got her teeth knocked out with a baseball when she was 8, and for 9 years she had to put up with low-confidence because it messed up her mouth. Why shouldn't she have gotten those fixed? 

[Rachel333]

21 minutes ago, KelseyAnn said:

Women get breast augmentation all the time and no one gives this shit about it. 

Seriously, let people do what they want to do to their bodies - as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, it's nobody's business. 

My little sister got her teeth knocked out with a baseball when she was 8, and for 9 years she had to put up with low-confidence because it messed up her mouth. Why shouldn't she have gotten those fixed? 

Where is this coming from? Who is saying people shouldn't be allowed to do what they want with their own bodies or that people shouldn't get their teeth fixed? I am actually confused by this conversation and really am wondering if I'm missing something.

I have not once said or even thought that braces are bad. I had braces myself! The comment that started this conversation was someone saying that John David and Abbie have horrible teeth even though both of them have perfectly clean, healthy-looking teeth. The problem isn't braces, the problem is shaming people who don't have Hollywood perfect teeth.

[SapphireSlytherin]

I can't imagine they'd end up in Alaska. Lol

[SamuraiKatz]

Another picture of Abbie (and her perfectly fine teeth) from her nursing class days last May, from a local newspaper:
source: http://coalgaterecordregister.com

Interesting that she attended a tech school in Ada...quite a ways from home.

[xenobia]

4 hours ago, SamuraiKatz said:

On 7/9/2018 at 7:29 PM, HereticHick said:

Another picture of Abbie (and her perfectly fine teeth) from her nursing class days last May, from a local newspaper:
source: http://coalgaterecordregister.com
 

Interesting that she attended a tech school in Ada...quite a ways from home.

She (and JD) are rapidly becoming my pet fundies! 

[HereticHick]

7 hours ago, SamuraiKatz said:

On 7/9/2018 at 1:29 PM, HereticHick said:

Another picture of Abbie (and her perfectly fine teeth) from her nursing class days last May, from a local newspaper:
source: http://coalgaterecordregister.com

Interesting that she attended a tech school in Ada...quite a ways from home.

But the Burnetts live in Stratford--isn't that less than 25 miles from Ada? Maybe the county next door?

[CaptainFunderpants]

11 hours ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

I can't imagine they'd end up in Alaska. Lol

For those missing this reference: AR is Arkansas; AK is Alaska. Someone used 'AK' when they meant 'AR.'

[VineHeart137]

Ok. They're cute or whatever.

 

[tabitha2]

As the great Snagglepuss would say:Young fundies in Love.Mile high club even!