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Braces
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Braces
牙套

Simple Past Tense

Date: May 14 2012

Themes: Health

Grammar: Simple Past Tense

Intro

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Everyone appreciates a beautiful smile. But you never know how much time, money, and pain it might have taken to achieve that perfect grin.

In the US, it’s very common for people to get braces in order to make their teeth straight. Most get braces when they are in middle school or high school, and keep them on for a year or more. Braces are expensive and uncomfortable, but as the saying goes, “No pain, no gain!”

Jason and Amy both had braces when they were younger. Hear about their experiences.

每个人都喜欢动人的微笑。但你不会知道为拥有这完美的笑容,要花费多少时间、金钱,以及忍受多少痛苦。
在美国,人们戴牙套矫正牙齿非常普遍。很多人在初中或高中时便已开始戴牙套,并且要戴一年或者多年。牙套昂贵又不舒服,但正所谓“付出才有收获!”
詹森和艾米在少年时期都戴过牙套。听听他们述说此段经历。

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Amy

Amy

Jason

Jason

Amy:  Man, last night, I had this recurring dream that I have, that I had braces on again.

Jason:  Oh, you had them before?

Amy:  I had them as a kid, and I had them for like four years.

Jason:  Geez.

Amy:  I know, and I had to have headgear.

Jason:  Oh my gosh.

Amy:  And rubber bands, like, holding my upper and lower teeth together, basically.

Jason:  Wow.

Amy:  And it was just so painful and such a big part of my life, and I still have this nightmare every once in a while that I’ve got braces again.

Jason:  Wow. Braces are sort of barbaric seeming to me.

Amy:  I know. Did you have braces?

Jason:  I did, and it was horrible, and it didn’t even fix my teeth all the way.

Amy:  I know. My teeth aren’t perfect either. But did you wear your retainer and do all those things you were supposed to?

Jason:  I was a very bad braces haver.

Amy:  So was I.

Jason:  I hated them so much, I demanded to have them off before it was done, even. It just seems really insane to have something constantly pulling on a part of your body.

Amy:  I know.

Jason:  So they took them off, and then my teeth continued to get straighter on their own.

Amy:  Woah. So the braces had kind of just set them off in the right direction.

Jason:  I guess.

 

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Discussion

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When Amy was younger, she had to have braces. The braces were very painful and Amy hated wearing them. As an adult, she still has nightmares sometimes about having her braces back on.

Jason also had braces. He says they are painful and barbaric. Neither his braces nor Amy’s made their teeth perfectly straight. But Jason made the dentist take his braces off early, and both he and Amy did a poor job of following their dentist’s instructions, which might explain why they didn’t work.

Have you ever had braces? Where you live, is it common for people to try to make their teeth straighter with braces?

 

Comments

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tutorheatherSuper Member!

United States

Quick note – for those asking about “braces haver,” I honestly have no idea what to tell you. It’s not standard English, nor is it something I have heard in daily conversation.


If it said braces “wearer,” it might be a bit better, but even then it’s awkward.


Hmmm.

06:35 PM May 14 2012 |

falastine

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

Hey,


I am a Palestinian woman who works as a trainee lawyer in Gaza city ; I don’t remember when exactly I have started learning English intensively , but I can diagnose how did I developed my English language , that happened after I discovered that’s I am fond in American movies & series therefore I have started to notice that my English language   skills have been developing therefore I have started to understand  most of English words , but I also knew that listening  is not the only way to learn English in order to develop my English language therefore I have decided to have English courses to improve my ability in writing & talking.   What I am trying to tell you is its very good to watch movies & series in English but we also cannot ignore how important to practice your language by taking English courses thus you can reach the maximum benefit you can in the shortest time.

05:34 PM May 14 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

BASTETPRADA,    i think that  it means able to wear it .   

05:32 PM May 14 2012 |

BastetPrada

Colombia

Can anyone explain me what “haver” means? THANKS.

05:11 PM May 14 2012 |

Ana <3

Ana <3

Mexico

I had braces for two years and they were not as bad as I thought. I just didn’t really like to smile because I hated my smile. But one got them off I loved my smile. Here in New Mexico many people have braces, and they have them to straighten their teeth. 

05:08 PM May 14 2012 |

cheer manal

Morocco

Ola33 pulling out teeth is freaking me out. you know? about two years ago when my wisdom teeth was coming out i was told to get them removed so that they wouldn´t affect my other teeth,but i couldn´t do it i was afraid. my cousin removed her foor teeth. it was done at once and  she had to eat only soup and liquids for a good deal of time. this experience can be frightening. i think one should have guts to be able to do that..

02:04 PM May 14 2012 |

An-china

An-china

Germany

How lucky-I have nice teeth~!

01:54 PM May 14 2012 |

CatcheR

CatcheR

Iceland

Braces is something fancy ,you know some of my friends just really crazy wearing it without any purpose, isn’t it funny. who would want to do that, bear the pain unless she is insane. Anyway, braces really spread all over the country, it’s getting more common than it used to, Fortunatelly, thanks goodness  to have such a straight teeth, or I might get metal stick all over my mouth, geeeeeeezzzz Foot in mouth

01:44 PM May 14 2012 |

i love life

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

Actually braces in my country very spreard as the same time there are lots people wearing braces specially women more then men , for me I don’t like wear braces what will adds braces on your look , I guess we can’t disappear anything If we decide wear braces ,from the other hand braces very expensive here ,nobody could put braces If were this person very rich , we are poor people , If I want to wear braces I should pay more of half my salary for what I don’t know for to be my appearence very nice .


I don’t like the Exaggeration in my life I love the moderation more then anything else I should to be a good example to my brothers .


01:26 PM May 14 2012 |

1 person likes this

ola33

ola33

Japan

I had my wisdom tooth pulled out one day. Oh my, it was something. During the whole procedure, I kept on asking the dentist if I stay alive. His comeback was ” No, will I stay alive?” The whole thing lasted for 40 minutes. Some wisdom teeth, as Manal said, have very croocked roots which sometimes is difficult to pull out. Yeah, those teeth… Smile

01:02 PM May 14 2012 |

cheer manal

Morocco

 


in my country braces are very common for teens as well as adults. 


people always praise my beautiful smile :) and i feel glad to hear that beacause it´s kind of boosting my confidence haha.., but unfortunately as my wisdom teeth grow up my upper teeth seem to be slightly slopping. which means i will no longer maintain my beautiful smile, so to restore it i have to have braces. Heeeeeeeelp!!! Cry 


 

12:53 PM May 14 2012 |

S&W

S&W

China

I haven’t experienced that pain to get braces.But i had plan when i was in middle school.One of my classamte had braces i asked what her felt.She said it was paintful and it’s hard for her to eat ,can’t enjoy the taste of the foodat the beginning.Maybe i was scaried by her words.I decide not to get braces and let my teeth grow as the way its like.Fortunately my gene is not bad or else i would regret deeply now.But i know the pain braces brings for thsoe people .So ,Hope all of them have beatiful smileLaughing

12:13 PM May 14 2012 |

3 people like this

shad84

shad84

United States

I will soon be getting my Braces fitted, i can’t wait, i know there’s gonna be pain but oh well i really think it’s going to be worthwhile


i simply can’t wait

11:42 AM May 14 2012 |

Olympia_UK_polish

Poland

I’ve had my brace fitted few months ago and yes, there is pain to start with but you get used to them and seeing result is reason good enough for me to go through with the treatment. I have an option of jaw realignment at the end of treatment which would change my appearence even more but I’m not sure if I can handle the pain of my jaw being broken…I live in UK and decided to go private even though I could have them for free on NHS (would have to go on a waiting list which I didn’t fancy haha) and everyone under 18 can have them free here.

11:19 AM May 14 2012 |

Victoriaa

Victoriaa

France

I have never had braces, fortunately and I agree with Jason that it is insance and barbaric, it causes so much pain. My sister had braces and I can say she was having hard time wearing them. But she didn’t have a headgear and actually I had no idea about this untill today. I looked it up in the internet and it’s horrible. I would never agree to have it, no matter how bad my teeth are.


As for the country, I’d say it’s not so common here, but it is getting popular and sometimes you can see adults wearing brackets. It makes me laugh.

jinyan69

jinyan69

China

i havnt experince this pain for the beauty in the futrue as a younger girl,so i havnt own a woderful teeth.but my neice made her teeth straighter with braces for a long time, i think it is not easy for her to endure this pain to be beautiful when growing up .Last month i saw her braces disapear and she has a beautifu teeth now , i am so glad for her ,it is worthy to do .

07:35 AM May 14 2012 |

nancy.xu

nancy.xu

China

so it drives me back to five years ago,when i was in middle school, i experienced the pain. my teeth are not straight enough, and my mom brought me to look doctor, as a result, i need to have headgear. at the begining, i would never forget how the pain is. Even i cannot drink water. but i could only silently bear the painful and boring. i was hungry  after school, when i opened my mouth, suddenly i reminded i have headgear. so it was really no appetite. i was tortured for half and one year, intenership made me to get out of the retainer. of course appearance is important.so far,my mom always say to me,”You must endure pain to be beautiful ”.hah..now i can smile freely. so smile..smile.smile Tongue out smile

07:04 AM May 14 2012 |

Erkaamgaa

Erkaamgaa

Mongolia

I never think about the pain of braces is so serious like that, but now i wonder why some guy wear braces even though their teeth are straight enough. i heard some guys like to wear braces because looking cool with it, is that right?

06:25 AM May 14 2012 |

FUN777

FUN777

Egypt

Fortunately for me i haven’t, but now i think it became easier than before, i mean there is the invisible braces i think it’s more comfortable than the ugly and painful one.

06:23 AM May 14 2012 |

adnan_affan

Saudi Arabia

eEeEeEe :DDD

05:30 AM May 14 2012 |

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