It's not cool when a reality show can make you well up with tears. Tears should be reserved for, well, reality, but there they were pouring out for Joanie during America's Next Top Model. (As a quick recap for the non-watcher, Joanie was given the "gift" of cosmetic dentistry, removing some misaligned teeth and replacing her entire grill with veneers.)
The pain itself of having multiple hours of dental surgery was not what got to me. It was the explanation that although her family could afford the regular dental visits, the braces and retainers that the other kids had just weren't in the cards for her. Having come from a blue-collar background myself, understanding was mine. But when she explained how in moments of genuine happiness she would have to stop herself from fully expressing joy with a full smile as to protect herself. This recollection brought out a voice inside: Joanie! Girl! I've SO been there!
My inner child also had a jacked-up grill. Not British or Appalachian, but still with it's problems. Like Joanie, the aversive mannerism of the aborting full smiles was learned until at least the method of "featuring the mouth at an angle that won't illicit a 'wassup wid yo teef?'" was self-taught with hours of mirror time.
Although the surgery options have been explored there have always been other diversions - silly things like rent - that have tooth-blocked. Additionally, as time passed, my jawline filled out immensely as my age approached 30 and the tight spaced spots sort of fell into place. The only remaining problem was two slightly "out there" front teeth - call them bucked if you must. Within a year following my 32nd birthday a bar-fight pushed the teeth back slightly and a girl riding piggyback shifting her weight thus driving my face into the pavement outside of the Eagle (9 stitches + concussion) finished the job.
A great "reveal" moment like Joanie's on America's Next Top Model with a teary-eyed hug to Tyra Banks is not in my cards. Somehow, over time, nature sort of took care of my grill. Granted, it's not the dreamy Brad Pitt smile, but it's also not the horsey Hillary Duff "why-children-shouldn't-have-cosmetic-surgery" blinding veneer-eal disease either. It's human.
