"My spouse "Jaime," like their entire family, has naturally perfect teeth. I am not so genetically blessed, and if I hadn't had heavy-duty braces from fifth through eighth grade, my teeth would be horrifically jacked-up. Our 10-year-old daughter, "Sara," unfortunately seems to have gotten her teeth from my side."
"But when I brought this up to Jaime, they reacted as if I'd wanted to get Sara a nose job and liposuction. They said there's nothing wrong with Sara's teeth, and that our society's expectations of perfect teeth are unhealthy. They said they would still have dated and fallen in love with me even if I'd had jacked-up teeth, which (knowing from extended family members how bad it could have been) I doubt. They said they refused to put Sara through years of pain and self-consciousness for mere cosmetic improvement. Jaime even said they did not want me saying a word to Sara about her teeth, and insinuated they would divorce me if I did. When I said fine, I'll just have her braces seen to during my custody weeks, Jaime said they would have them removed every time they got Sara back, just to destroy my work."
"Leaping to divorce just because you suggested that your daughter might need braces is wild. I hope this isn't how your other disagreements end. Also, did I just miss the part where you shared that you-or your spouse-is a dental health professional? If neither of you are experts, it's really not a question of your pr"
One parent reports that their spouse has naturally perfect teeth while their 10-year-old daughter appears to have inherited misaligned teeth. The reporting parent wants to pursue braces within a year to prevent future social and career disadvantages. The spouse rejects orthodontic treatment as unnecessary and harmful conformity, threatens divorce, and vows to remove braces obtained during the other parent's custody. The parents have paused the conversation but remain in tension. The situation raises questions about obtaining professional dental evaluation, prioritizing the child's best interests, custody cooperation, and conflict resolution strategies to avoid damaging the parent-child relationship.
Read at Slate Magazine
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