Getting braces at older age leads to ongoing dental issues

Dear Annie: As a child, it was obvious that I needed braces to correct an overbite and crowding of the teeth. Kids made fun of me all the time, and I became severely depressed. My mother was a cold person, and I didn’t have a positive relationship with my stepfather or stepsister.

In my 30s, after counseling, I finally had braces put on my teeth. I’m now in my late 60s, and my dentist explained that the problems I am now experiencing are because the pockets created when moving teeth do not completely fill in when you’re older.

It seems like, even though

I take good care of my dental hygiene, I regularly have to undergo painful deep cleaning and repair work. I have worked at forgiveness toward my parents, but every time I have to undergo another painful session with the dentist, I get furious all over again that this was not taken care of when I was a child. I don’t know how to handle this forgiveness when the pain is ongoing. — Failing to Forgive

Dear Failing to Forgive: The best way to handle it is to know that forgiveness is not something you are doing for your parents -- you are doing it for yourself so that you can

Horoscopes

by Holiday Mathis

Today’s birthday

Welcome to your year of illumination.

Whatever you were missing, it clicks in. You learn how to breathe life into your dreams and create anew. Knowledge applies; confusion lifts; mysteries are solved! More highlights: Interpersonal work has immediate and lasting results. Relationships groove, heal and become a whole lot of fun. You’ll raise, save and invest money to great effect. Aquarius and Pisces adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 1, 11, 23, 39 and 15.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). The size, economics or social significance of a job matters much less than your sincere aim to do it right. Your intent of excellence will make this day a success. Good instruction will be key; a search engine will be your ally.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Gentle persuasion is favored over forceful methods. The thing you want is like a small animal, easily scared off if you move quickly toward it. Be still. Better yet, set out some food and let it come to you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’ll organize, prioritize and realize you can’t get everything you want out of the situation. There is too much to manage here. Something has to give. What can be let go of? Every piece you release makes you lighter.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You’d like this day to end with your goal in hand, and for this to happen you must choose which goal. Assume you will attain but one, and make sure it’s the one that matters most to you and yours.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Before you ask for help from the world, you’ll wonder what you can do for yourself. To find out, help yourself to whatever extent you are able. A strong sense of momentum will set in to carry you through many a successful outcome.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ll try to understand where others are coming from. Will they do the same for you today? If not, there’s still a great deal of benefit to the compassionate listening you’ll extend, and many ways to apply what you learn.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). It’s not necessary to know what everyone else thinks before you decide. Consult with yourself. There’s a voice inside you that wants to be heard. Don’t let it get drowned out by listening to the schemes and wishes of others.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). People will defy definition today. You can’t know them by knowing who they are in one role. You get a better understanding by seeing someone in their various roles, but even then, your knowledge will be incomplete.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Things move along at a nice clip to get you where you want to be. It’s not a time to get deep, rather you should learn and do enough to get to the next stage. Expert assistance helps. Keep good records.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You have something to express and would prefer to do it in front of an audience. Whether it’s a small group of family members, colleagues around the water cooler or a room of classmates, you’ll command attention.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Each responsibility that falls to you is a new chance to look and do good for your organization. So, when they come to you with a pile of work, you feel excited about the prospects.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Because the responsibilities ahead are a good fit for you, you’ll be promoted. You won’t need to please, flatter or coddle anyone to do well. Instead, you’ll give your true opinion and speak sincerely about what’s next.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Legendary Country Music Hall of Fame artist and 12-time Grammy Award winner Emmylou Harris is a powerful Aries music road warrior with the tour schedule to prove it. In recent works of musical storytelling, Harris tributes friends she’s met along the way. Harris was born when Mercury, Venus and Mars were all in musical Pisces, indicative of tremendous empathy, artistry and soul.

be free. You want to be free from the resentment that you understandably have toward your parents for not taking care of you the way you would have liked.

Know that had they known better, they would have done better, but they never did know -- and you had to pay the price. The best way to move on is to let go of the past and focus on the years ahead. The forgiveness is not about them; it is about freeing yourself. You are worthy of living without that baggage.

Dear Annie: I must take exception to an errant sentence in an otherwise excellent letter in a recent column. The reader wrote, “I’m 63 and number eight of a Catholic family of

10. Only one sibling remains Catholic; most of us went to other churches and are now Christian.”

It needs to be pointed out that Catholics ARE Christians, as Roman Catholicism is one of the three major groups of Christianity, along with Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Many evangelical Protestant Christians would have you believe that Roman Catholicism is either a non-Christian denomination or a less pure form of Christianity, but this simply is not true, although obviously there are many distinct differences.

Anyway, just felt compelled to point this out in case it comes up again. We enjoy your columns, and keep up the good work! Thank you. — A Proud Lifelong Roman Catholic

Dear Proud Catholic: Thank you for sharing that distinction.

Dear Annie: I have one grandson who has never cared for hugging. So a few years ago, he and I came up with our own special fist bump. After the “bump,” we touch the tips of our index and pinky fingers. This puts our hands in the same position as “I love you” in sign language. He is now 12. —

Special Fist Bump

Dear Fist Bump: Thank you for your suggestion. I love that you were able to connect with him in a way that felt safe and good for him.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@ creators.com.