The New Orthodontist

The Quest for the NEW Orthodontist

By Chelsea M. L. O.

After living in Los Angeles for 4 days I went to my first ortho consult. I tried to make a couple appointments to see Dr.'s when I got here but Dr. Sack of West Hollywood was the easiest to get in to see. To spoil the end of this story, I cried the entire drive home. And now, a scene (very little has been dramatized for effect).

Dr. S: So why did you move to LA?

Me: Well I was acting in New York, and I moved here to continue acting and working in the entertainment business.

Dr. S: Are you aware your acting career will suffer because of the braces? Agents don't take kindly to that you know.

Me: Yes. I'm aware and I'm pursuing other work right now.

(dialogue intermission due to rubbered hands jammed in my mouth)

(Dr. S begins calling out EXTREMELY insulting statements like "class 2 molars, severe over bite, possible jaw clicking". how rude...)

Dr. S: Are you a mouth-breather?

Me: ( embarrassed gasp) um, yeah, kinda.

Dr. S: That's what I thought. You have inflammation and gingivitis due to your excessive mouth breathing. I want you to see an ENT to fix your mouth/ nose breathing.

... (Dr. babble about how he completely disagrees with my treatment, wants to take my braces off and put new ones on, take new photos for an extra $300, and my treatment will still be $6,000)

then while explaining the lack of my upper lip length, he said ( and I am NOT exaggerating)

"We here in the city look at these details. I mean... this IS Hollywood."

This is the point where I said FU, flipped the bird, and said call my city ortho in New York City where people are smarter, and you can discuss the length of YOUR lip.

No I did not. I sat there while my eyes welled with tears and hated the day I moved to this city.

Lesson to be Learned? I often jump to conclusions and am drastically swayed by people's opinions. It turns out all I had to do was find a Michigander.

Dr. Scott Newhart will be my new orthodontist. While he can never replace Dr. V's place in my jaw he will definitely hold a candle to her. He got his Bachelor's from MSU (ahhhh yes) and he said upon entering the room "you have Michigan skin."

I fell in love.

He gave me a reasonable rate, agreed with my current treatment, and told me I had a beautiful face. He won over my heart, and my teeth.

And the world is right again.