Shimmering Attraction, Part 2

Shimmering Attraction
by smokeybear040@hotmail.com

Part 2

I went to the dentist today for a regular check up and cleaning. Now that 
I'm a smoker I know how important this is for both my health and my 
appearance. I have never had the most perfect teeth in the world but I never 
did anything to improve them, other than regular visits to the dentist. I 
was shocked when the dentist suggested to me that I should consider seeing 
an orthodontist and possibly getting braces. He said I had the beginnings of 
a condition that would require orthodontic treatment and if I didn't take 
care of now I could loose my teeth later in life. I thought to myself, I'm 
too old for braces and if I did get them how would I smoke with them on? I 
didn't want to loose my teeth, but I also didn't want to get braces or quit 
smoking.

I thought about what the dentist had told me for a couple of weeks. I looked 
on the internet for advise and if smoking with braces was a possibility. 
There wasn't that much information, but I did chat with a few women that had 
braces and smoked with them on. I checked into my insurance coverage and it 
would cover most of the orthodontic treatment. I thought, Oh well, I'll 
check it out. I made an appointment for the orthodontist that my dentist had 
recommended.

The appointment day came, and I was still a little apprehensive about the 
whole thing. The orthodontist, who examined me, was an elderly man. He 
checked my teeth, ex-rayed them, explained the procedure, and then gave me a 
lecture on how bad it would for to smoke with braces on my teeth. How he 
knew I smoked,I don't know. Maybe he could tell during my examination or 
maybe he could smell smoke on me? I left the appointment very confused. I 
didn't at that point make another appointment. I thought I don't want him 
lecturing me for the next two years.

A couple of months went by and I hadn't done anything about my teeth. It 
just so happened I met a new girl at work, Kathy. Kathy had braces on her 
teeth. One night after work a few of the girls were going out for a drink, I 
invited Kathy to come along. We sat in a booth all together. I knew some of 
the girls smoked,as I did, so I asked Kathy if she minded if we smoked. She 
replied, of course not, as she dug into her purse and pulled out a pack of 
her own cigarettes. She pulled one out and lit up herself. I admit I was 
somewhat shocked. I asked her if it was difficult smoking with braces. She 
said not now, but it did take some getting used to. I then told her my 
orthodontist story. She said, her's hasn't even questioned her about 
smoking. She gave me his name and number and told me to give him a call. The 
next day I made an appointment.

The appointment day with Dr. Dan had finally come. I wasn't quite as nervous 
as the previous appointment. Dr. Dan came in and examined my teeth just as 
the last orthodontist had done. Kathy had neglected to tell me what a hunk 
Dr. Dan was. He again took some ex-rays, he also made an impression of my 
teeth and then explained the procedure. He asked if I had any questions, I 
said no. He then asked if he should proceed. I said, right now? He answered, 
the sooner the better. So before I could chicken out I said, OK. He placed 
rubber spacers between my back molars, he then told me to make an 
appointment for a week from today. The spacers weren't too bad. They felt 
like you had pieces of meat stuck between your teeth. I could smoke with 
them without trouble.

A week went by and my next appointment came. Dr. Dan removed the spacers he 
had put in the week before. He fitted my back molars with bands and cemented 
them in place. He then cleaned and dried my remaining teeth and cemented 
brackets to each of them. He then proceeded to do the same to my lower 
teeth. When that was completed, he put several wires in my mouth and somehow 
tightened them into position. I thought to myself, how are you going to 
smoke with all this in your mouth? He said, there that completes the 
treatment for today. It had taken him about 2 1/2 hours to do all the work 
and I was needing a cigarette bad at that point. I got a few instructions 
from the assistant and made my next appointment. I then hurried down to my 
car. I took a quick look in the rearview mirror as I fumbled for a cigarette 
in my purse. It didn't look as bad as I had expected. I sort of even liked 
the way they looked as the glistened in the sunlight. Mouth jewelry, I 
thought to myself. I lit the cigarette and took a tentative puff of `it. I 
could feel the newly acquired braces against the inside of my cheeks. That 
wasn't enough to settle my cravings, so I took a more normal puff, as normal 
as I could with all that hardware in my mouth. This time I could really feel 
the braces against the inside of my mouth. I thought to myself, what did you 
get yourself into? This is going to take some getting used to.

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