Joe's Braces

My son Joe got some new braces a few days ago. He's destined to be wearing these for up to 18 months. I'm struggling to see why, but his dentist reckons that a little 'work' now will give him a 'million dollar smile' later.

Now in my day, I too had braces. However, that is where the comparison ends. Mine were removable and made of industrial grade iron (or so it seemed). These new ones are semi permanent, glued in and bejewelled to his own specification with blue highlights. He can wear his gumshield over them when he plays rugby too. He's even got some right fancy wee brushes (think pipe cleaners) to get in between all the wires. I think mine had to soak in a dish overnight. Yuk!