Once upon a time in America, before the advent of full color advertising and the birth of the supermodel, crooked teeth and overbites were the standard, not the exception. Now nearly every child in this country over the age of 10 spends at least two years with his mouth encased in wire and plastic, so even if his personality is warped, his teeth will be straight. These marvelous appliances are called “braces.” The word “braces” is orthodontic shorthand for, “When I tell you how much two ounces of wire is going to cost, you’d better BRACE yourself.”