Snickle-Fritz

"Fangs!"  My handsome blue suede brother dared to call his much younger little sister "Fangs!!"  Sometimes that moniker was switched to 'Dracula'.  I suppose he had good reason.  My grade 4 school picture did indeed portray me, with my static electrical short shag hair style, smiling with only 2 teeth popping out of my mouth - the teeth on either side of my top middle ones. No other teeth were showing in that photo- the photo that made it into the yearbook for all to see. Not only were my eyes scrunched really tightly, my hair all askew from the static in the air, but my 'fangs' were prominently displayed. And the fangs made me want to cry.

You can imagine my relief when I found out that I was going to get braces! My fangs would be gone!  And, according to my orthodontist, whom we made the 3 hour trip to go see, I would have a beautiful smile!

And so, on this date, May 29, 1975, we- Mom, Dad and I, headed off to the big city so I could have braces put on my top row of teeth. 37 years ago today was the start of my metamorphosis from Ugly Duckling to Beautiful Swan.  Or so I hoped.

My orthodontist,  Dr. C. Ronald Hill, dubbed me "Snickle-Fritz"  That was much easier than "Fangs" to handle for an 11 year old. I would tolerate any pain from Dr. Hill because I knew in the end, it would be worth it. And painful it was! As the metal railroad track was cemented on, then the wires tightened I probably could have cried.  But I didn't.  No more fangs for me!  And once a month for close to 3 years, Mom, Dad and I headed for our 3 hour drive so I could hear Dr. C. Ronald Hill call me "Snickle-Fritz".  About halfway through my braces ordeal I was given the dreaded head gear to wear - first for 12 hours a day, then just for the nights.  It was very similar to a football helmet. Without the helmet part - just the part that goes over the mouth.  I would hook 1 sharp metal piece on to the top right back tooth, and then I would hook another sharp metal piece on to the top left back tooth, and then another part would wrap around my head. I was styling in my head gear!

I was the only person in my school to wear braces at that time. Back then it wasn't cool.  It was -ugly! I rarely smiled. My school pictures in grade 6 and grade 7 showed me smiling with just my lips.  No braces were in sight.  In fact, there are no pictures of me in that time period to prove that I even had braces. But, when those braces came off, I smiled for the world to see!  No more fangs! My handsome blue suede brother, who had left home by the time my fangs were gone, would have to come up with a new nickname for me.  He never did though. I guess he must have grown up!