We’ve all heard this catchy holiday song penned the 1940s in which a child sings that he’d like his permanent front teeth to erupt in order to be able to speak without a lisp and to whistle.
For many of the kids treated through SCL, receiving braces is a holiday wish—and even a years-long dream—come true. This time of year, many our applications include comments that having braces would be the best holiday gift the child can imagine.
Besides the fun of whistling and the legitimate need for better pronunciation mentioned in the tune, common reasons children request orthodontic treatment through SCL include:
- A desire to smile, laugh, and talk without embarrassment and shame at the condition of their teeth
- An expectation for greater confidence and self-esteem—reports of which we constantly hear from SCL alums who are now enthralled by their new smiles!
- A hope that name-calling and other bullying from peers will cease
- Alleviation of jaw and mouth pain, bleeding, and other current dental problems
- Prevention of future problems predicted by their dentists due to poor tooth or jaw alignment, up to and including loss of permanent teeth
- Greater ease of brushing and flossing, contributing to improved oral health and therefore overall health
- Greater ease of biting into and chewing favorite foods
This time of year is also commonly considered a time of hope and renewal. Kids applying to SCL hold onto hope that “things won’t always be this way.” They dare to imagine being more confident in themselves, of being willing to grin broadly for a school yearbook photo, and of not always be called cruel, derogatory names by their classmates for something they can neither control nor change by themselves—misaligned teeth.
Here at SCL, these are holiday wishes we can actually make come true by providing a deserving child with braces through one of our provider orthodontists.
And, to celebrate this joyous time of year as well as the 6,500 joyous smiles SCL has given kids since our founding, we wanted share a few of our favorite before-and-after photos of kids treated through SCL—kids who once wished for a beautiful smile and have now seen that dream come true.