Real-Life Communication -- Solution
Here's what we came up with:
OK, Jason,
as you know, we're going to be installing your braces this morning. But
before we go ahead, I wanted to talk to you a bit more about what's going
to be happening. I want you to feel free to ask me any questions you might
have as well.
Here's a model of a typical mouth. As you can see,
the teeth here are straight. That's what yours will look like soon. What
I'm going to do this morning is attach the braces to your teeth. This
will take about two hours.
The braces will be wrapped all around your
teeth and there will be four tiny areas where I can adjust how tight or loose
they are. Understand?
Once the braces are in, you will feel them for
a couple of weeks. Your mouth will probably be sore. That's why we are
going to let you eat all the ice cream you want. But that should go away.
Then,
when you come in every month to have them tightened, you'll
feel a little bit more soreness. But that just means more ice cream!
That's
about it. As you get used to your braces, you'll find the pain becomes
less and less. And before you know it, your choppers will look just like these
ones here!
Orthodontists often use several models to
show young and old patients how braces work. In school, doctors spend hours
practicing talking with patients of all ages.
You also have to be able
to communicate with the people you work with. Most orthodontists work in a
team situation.
Dr. Antonios Mamandras is the chairman and director
of a graduate program in orthodontics. "You're going to have a team around
you, so you have to be a leader," he says.