The cost of children

My oldest of two children recently had to get braces to straighten her smile and, in the big picture, help her future teeth be able to sprout without trouble. It is hard to fathom how these tiny pieces of metal (although you can now get them in ceramic or even plastic) can cost so damn much. I know you always hear that orthodontist fees are through the roof, but you really feel it when they are digging in your pants to get your wallet and their money. I admit that they are probably a royal bitch to install, and for that I would expect to pay dearly for the labor involved, but the cost goes beyond reason. Braces have changed dramatically since I was a kid...you can now get them in almost any color sort of like another fashion accessory, but I'm sure my daughter would beg to differ. I was lucky enough not to have to wear them (God given straight teeth), so I guess having both of my children need them is just good ole' variance catching up to me. I just can't see how these tiny pieces of metal, ceramic, or plastic can be worth that much. I suspect that the fee is more for the end result than the product and that is wrong. Although braces are virtually guaranteed to produce the intended result, unlike say an excercise device, which only produces outcomes that are in proportion to the amount of work and dedication surrendered to them. So I guess ultimately it is the price of vanity which drives these ridiculous fees, and everyone wants their child to be beautiful...I do anyway, except for the part about boys wanting to date, which I will have to come to grips with in due time. The price of beauty is high indeed, and that really kills the warm, huggy-feely, fuzzy sayin of it's whats on the inside that counts. It is obviously what on the outside that costs.