Ask the Experts

Dr. Jeremy Fry

FRY ORTHODONTICS At Fry Orthodontics, we have been providing superior service to patients of all ages for more than 40 years while helping them achieve a healthy and beautiful smile. 913.469.9191, FryOrthodontics.com

Mary Altman

MCPL Mid-Continent Public Library has 33 branches and serves more than 816,000 residents across Jackson, Clay and Platte counties, offering resources and services for all ages. 816.836.5200, MyMCPL.org

Q

Will wisdom teeth affect the correction from braces?

Many people believe that wisdom teeth cause teeth to get crooked following braces. Research has shown that this is NOT true. It is true that teeth can move after orthodontics if retainers are not worn, but the teeth will move regardless of wisdom teeth being there or not. Even though they do not affect the orthodontics, wisdom teeth most likely will need to be removed due to other dental problems: nerve damage, infections, or other pathology. It is best to discuss with your family dentist for timing and need of removal. Dr. Jeremy Fry

Fry Orthodontics

Q

Besides books, what else am I able to get with my library card?

People are always surprised when they learn that they can use their Mid-Continent Public Library card to download eBooks and eAudiobooks for both adults and children, download up to five songs per week to keep, learn a language, get free online tutoring and take free online courses in a variety of professional and personal development subjects. You can also read the Kansas City Star and Kansas City Business Journal for free, and access important information on ConsumerReports.com before a big purchase. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what you can access with your library card. Mary Altman

Marketing and Communications, MCPL

ASK THE EXPERTS...If you have a question, send it our way and we’ll ask one of our experts to answer. Email editor@kcparent.com and put “Ask the Experts” in the subject line. As always, please consult your health care provider with any medical questions or concerns.

parenting by the numbers

Sometimes when you’re parenting you just don’t have all the answers, and nothing makes sense, and things don’t add up. Here I present to you some parenting word problems, and I’m curious to see your answers. No cheating off the parent next to you! Come up with your own solutions, please.

If two kids raise their hands to go here, and three raise their hands to go there, how many tears are shed by the ones who do not get to go where they want?

If the household runs the dishwasher twice a day and the washing machine once a day for one month straight, how many hours will Mom have to work to make money for a maid service? How old will the kids be when they will clean the house while Mom eats her bonbons in the tub?

Mom spent five hours scraping wallpaper in the kitchen. She spent two hours washing and sanding one wall in the same kitchen. How long will it be before she stops procrastinating putting on the spackle? When she DOES spackle the joint, how badly will she mess it up, and how long will it take her husband to fix it?

The kids made $35 at a recent garage sale during two days of the adults’ doing hard work and sitting around waiting for customers. The adults made about $25. Why do we keep having garage sales?

Mom spends $123 at Aldi, $132 at Price Chopper and $21 at Hy-Vee on grocery shopping for two weeks of eating. How much faster did the grocery shopping get done without children?

A stroller travels at a speed of 2 mph when it is empty. How fast does it travel when it is holding the sixth child (a.k.a. the Toshiba laptop) and backpack with a cell phone in it? With how much force did it hit the park lake last week? Why in the world is there not a brake on the stroller? (Don’t worry; no kids were in the stroller!)

If X, Y and Z activities are all going on at the same time in the same week, each week, calculate the trajectory of exactly when and where Mom will lose her mind.

Calculate the distance between your house and the nearest Starbucks. The nearest book store. The nearest chocolate shop. Now figure how much it will cost for Uber to take you to all three.

If your son invites over one friend and your daughter invites over two friends, how quickly will the food in your home disappear and how long until someone is accidentally injured while roughhousing? Bonus: Where is the nearest store where you can purchase earplugs!

If a vacuum cleaner is around 70 decibels, and you have to vacuum four times a week to make your house look halfway decent because you have twin toddlers running around with crackers all day long, how long will you have to save to hire a maid service? Bonus: Calculate the shock and horror on the face of said maid when he/she arrives.

Kerrie McLoughlin is a homeschooling mom of five who just moved from Overland Park to 8 acres in Peculiar, MO, and writes about it at TheKerrieShow.com.

The starting point for a healthy smile.

We specialize in giving kids the care and special consideration they need for successful dental care.

Owner John P. Roth DDS and family Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry Specialist in Orthodontics Locations:

OVERLAND PARK

913-553-2492

LEGENDS

913-948-8688

LEAWOOD

913-491-5044

NEW

StartingPointDental.com