Dr. Park and Dr. Whites

1.

Sophie Ramirez wished she'd never picked dental hygiene. She was the worst student in her school's program by far, and caring for her own oral health had never been much of a priority for her. She could tell she was the class laughingstock, even if her classmates were polite to her face.

She definitely stood out, her bleach blonde hair, perfect makeup, and all-pink wardrobe stood in sharp contrast to her more homely classmates, even if she didn't have the grades to match. Still, it was quite humiliating to be used as a demonstration whenever she had a cavity, or was desperately in need of a cleaning.

It was no surprise when her teacher, Dr. Woods, called her into her office after class.

"Ms. Ramirez, I'm afraid I have some bad news. At the rate you're currently going, it's extremely unlikely for you to graduate with the rest of your class."

Sophie groaned. She saw this a mile away, but she still didn't want to hear it.

Dr. Woods continued. "However, as luck would have it, you may have an opportunity to save your grade this semester. I've been contacted by a colleague of mine looking for participants in a study she'll be conducting, and I believe you would be a perfect candidate."

Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what kind of study?"

Dr. Woods smiled. "My colleague and her partner are both quite talented orthodontists. I've received treatment from them before and was quite happy with the results. She's looking for young women within your age range, so I sent over some of your x-rays and explained your situation, and she said you were an ideal specimen!"

That didn't quite answer Sophie's question, but the fact that the colleague was an orthodontist seemed to be a clue. Sophie's childhood dentist had recommended braces, but she rejected them at the time, and her family wasn't in a financial position to push the issue. Still, Dr. Woods had quite a stunning smile, it always struck Sophie as almost unnaturally perfect. She wasn't too proud of her own teeth after all...

"How long is the study supposed to last?" Sophie asked, weighing her options in her head.

"Hard to say, she hasn't shared too many details with me yet. The length should be dependent on your compliance with the procedures, however. Regardless, your treatment will be free of charge, and the extra credit should be enough to ensure you a spot in this year's graduation."

Sophie bit her lip. "Do I really have a choice?"

Dr. Woods smirked. "Unless you become a straight-A student starting this week, I'm afraid not. She has a spot open for you tomorrow at 5, right after class. Her office isn't too far from here. Here's her card..."

She slid a pink business card over to Sophie. It was quite professional looking, aside from a drawing of a smiling cartoon tooth wearing headgear. It read:

Dr. Flossie Park, DDS

Orthodontist

Whites Experimental Dentistry

9300 Ivory Ave

2.

The next day after class (A long lecture on tooth decay, yuck.), Sophie got in her car and reluctantly typed the address into Google. The office seemed to have a five-star rating, but no actual written reviews, oddly enough. She sighed as she started up the car and set off.

During the short drive, her mind kept cycling, as she still barely knew anything about what was in store for her. Maybe once she got there, Dr. Park would say she wasn't what she was looking for, but she'd get the extra credit anyway?

She pulled into the parking lot of a nondescript strip mall, seeing the office situated right between a clothes store and a coffeeshop. The office had opaque tinted windows, and had the same logo as on Dr. Park's card, complete with the unnerving cartoon tooth. The door had the names of two doctors, Dr. Flossie Park and Dr. Pearl Whites.

The waiting room was a bit cramped, and pretty nondescript. A few chairs, a table with some magazines, and light green walls. Some calming ocean sounds were playing over some speakers, and it had that typical dentist office smell Sophie never quite got used to.

The receptionist sat in the window, turning as Sophie entered. "Hi there, Sophie Ramirez?"

Sophie stepped over. "Yes, that's me." She took a moment to look over the receptionist. She was a somewhat attractive woman in her late 30s, wavy brown hair tied back in a bun, with a face full of perfectly applied makeup. She wore an odd pink uniform, made of latex and tightly fitting around her body, seeming like it would fit better in an adult film or a halloween party than an actual dental clinic. A small nametag read "Quinn, Dental Assistant".

Quinn smiled, showing an impressive set of bubblegum pink braces. "Excellent! Just take a seat, we'll be ready for you in just a bit."

As Sophie turned to take a seat, she saw she wasn't alone in the waiting room. A young woman in navy blue scrubs was sitting down, flipping through one of the magazines, which were apparently all focused on dentistry and orthodontics. She was a bit lanky, had a pixie cut dyed blue, and wore no makeup, showing a bit of adult acne. Sophie recognized her immediately.

"Sophie! What are you doing here?" She looked up from her magazine, smiling. Abby Huang was the biggest overachiever in Sophie's program, always seeming to know the answer to every question. She never dropped her perky persona, and seemed to be overly friendly to everyone she met, even if she seemed a bit awkward. What was she doing here?

Sophie tried to force a polite smile. "I'm... doing some extra credit. You?"

Abby gestured for Sophie to sit down next to her, which Sophie reluctantly followed. "Same! Dr. Woods said I'd be perfect for this study, I didn't know anyone else from our class was going to be participating!"

As Abby kept smiling, Sophie felt a twinge of curiosity. While her own teeth weren't quite perfect, Abby's teeth seemed almost flawless, despite everything else about her. Why was she needed for an orthodontic study? Also, why would she volunteer since her grades clearly didn't need saving.

Sophie cleared her throat. "Do you, ah, know what the study is about? Dr. Woods didn't really tell me anything."

Abby smirked. "Nope. Just that we're seeing an orthodontist....You don't seem like you're too excited, are you?"

Sophie scrunched up her nose. "No, are you? Why did you sign up for this?"

Abby shrugged. "Dr. Woods said it'd be a good learning experience. I thought it'd be a good way to get a different kind of hands on experience before I enter the job market. Also..." She looked a bit sheepish. "I'm kinda excited about maybe getting braces. I know it's weird but... I've always kind of wanted them. I used to ask my dentist about them all the time when I was a kid, but she always said I didn't need them. I don't know why, I've just always been fascinated by them!"

Sophie must've made a face, because Abby immediately blushed. "I know, it's so weird! Sorry, I just love everything dental, I want to experience all of it, you know?"

Sophie paused trying to think of a response, but before she could, she heard the door next to the receptionist's window open, and a strange voice call out. "Abby, Thophie? Would you pleathe come with me? We're ready for you ladieth now."

3.

Standing in the doorway was a rather short, stocky woman, wearing an odd uniform similar to Quinn's, though hers was a sterile white. Her dark hair was cut extremely short, and she was tapping on her clipboard with a pen. What stood out to Sophie the most, however was her orthodontia.

Sophie tried to remember the terminology from class, but the devices the woman was wearing didn't seem to match up with anything she'd seen before. She had three pink and orange cloth straps wrapped around the back of her head, as well as a bulky metal facemask, with an orange plastic bumper on her forehead and a pink plastic cup on her chin. She grinned, showing a heavy set of pink and orange braces, along with a mess of rubber bands.

Sophie and Abby awkwardly stood up, walking over to the strange woman, who gave another colorful grin, this time allowing Sophie to notice her two facebows. Abby spoke up. "I'm Abby, and she's Sophie. And you are...?"

"You can call me Dr. Whiteth. I'll be athithting with Dr. Park'th thtudy. You can follow me, I'll take you two to your theath."

As the doctor turned around, Abby shot Sophie a quick smirk and an eyebrow raise, before heading forward. Sophie gulped before she continued on as well. If this was what the doctor wore, what kind of treatment were they getting?

---

Pearl lead the pair down a surprisingly long and winding hallway, lined with opaque glass doors. She stopped at the very end, pushing open the door and gesturing for them to enter.

The room was clean and sterile, with every available surface being pink and white. A pair of pink chairs sat next to each other, facing the door. A blonde woman in a pink uniform was preparing some equipment, and waived at the girls as they entered. Dr. Whites spoke up. "Jutht take a theat and relaxth, Charlotte will get you prepped while I get Dr. Park."

Abby eagerly climbed into her chair, plopping her arms on the armrests and shooting Sophie a grin. Sophie reluctantly sat down, keeping her hands folded on her chest and nervously looking at Charlotte.

After Pearl stepped out, Charlotte clipped a pair of pink bibs around their necks. Sophie noticed the quite sweet smell of her perfume, and looked up to notice she was wearing the same pink braces as Quinn.

A few moments passed, and the door opened once again. In stepped a rather tall woman woman, a bit over 6 feet in heels, wearing the same white uniform as Dr. Whites. She appeared to be of Korean descent, her dyed blonde hair was tied back in a bun with a pink scrunchie, and her earrings were shaped like small teeth. Her makeup was heavy but professional, with a striking shade of red lipstick framing her mouth. She was quite busty, and had excellent posture.

She took a look at her patients and smiled, showing a set of pink, white, and blue braces. She spoke up, her voice high-pitched but friendly. "Sophie, Abby, it's nice to meet you two. My name is Dr. Flossie Park, and I'll be in charge of your orthodontic treatment. I expect you may have some questions?"

Abby spoke up first. "Will we be getting braces?" She was barely able to contain her excitement, making Sophie wince. She'd never understand this girl.

Flossie grinned. "Wow, it's not every day I get to meet such an eager patient! And I am happy to say, yes, you two will be getting braces today!"

Sophie's eyes widened. "Today? Isn't that awfully quick? You aren't even going to examine us first?" The walls felt like they were closing in.

Flossie smirked. "You heard me right! Willow, I suppose you know her better as Dr. Woods, was kind enough to send us your x-rays and impressions taken in class, and we had enough information to put together your appliances already! We can get started right now, if you're ready!"

Sophie just sank into her chair. She was really going to have to walk around wearing braces now, wasn't she? She looked over at Abby grinning from ear to ear. She then thought back to her grades. At the end of the day, she supposed she'd rather be a braceface than a dental hygiene dropout.

"I... guess I'm ready." Sophie mumbled. This was going to be a nightmare.

4.

Dr. Park clapped her hands together, showing her colorful grin. "Excellent! Now, first things first, have you ever been restrained at the dentist before?"

Sophie did a double take. What was she talking about now? This part had to be a joke, right?

Dr. Park continued. "This office uses dental restraints quite religiously, I'm afraid they're mandatory for all patients. They're becoming more popular in Europe, though most American dentists tend to avoid them. I had them used on me quite a bit growing up, and I would say the benefits outweigh the typical patient's initial concerns."

Abby perked up. "I haven't! They do wonders for orthodontic compliance, don't they? I've read a bit about them online..."

Dr. Park smiled again. "They do! Both Dr. Whites and I wear them during our own orthodontic adjustments, they're really something! Would you like to go first?" Sophie felt like she was listening to a conversation between aliens.

Abby nodded, and Charlotte went to work. Sophie watched as a set of thick pink rubber straps were wrapped around Abby's body. They went from her ankles to her forehead, with two extras on each armrest. Charlotte adjusted a dial, causing Abby to wince, but giggle a bit.

"Your turn, Sophie!" Sophie's heart pounded as Charlotte gestured for her to place her arms on the armrests. She proceeded to wrap the same set of heavy straps around Sophie. They were loose at first but restricted once she turned the dial.

Sophie tried to squirm, but they wouldn't budge. She looked up at Charlotte and Dr. Park, who just seemed amused.

Dr. Park spoke up. "Now, would either of you like to be sedated? The installation process can be quite long, and a bit uncomfortable. We'll fill you in with the details of your treatment once you wake up."

"No thank you, Doctor. I want to learn as much from this as I can!" Sophie couldn't move her head to look over at Abby, but she could tell she was beaming.

Sophie sighed. "Just put me to sleep, I want to get this over with."

Dr. Park nodded. "Very well. Let's get started..."

Both chairs began to recline, the straps moving uncomfortable against Sophie's body. She heard Dr. Whites and Quinn enter the room, with Dr. Whites moving over to Abby to join Charlotte, while Quinn loomed overhead, ready to assist Dr. Park.

Quinn and Dr. Park donned their pink masks and gloves, and Sophie felt something rubber be placed over her nose while the examination light was adjusted. A sweet smell filled her nostrils.

"Now, be a good girl and take deep breaths..." Quinn stroked Sophie's hair as Dr. Park flicked on the light and reached for her tools.

Sophie's eyelids felt heavy as she slowly drifted off...

---

Sophie awoke to an extreme ache in her mouth. She tried to move, but her body was restrained. Her eyes shot open and she panicked, taking a moment to remember where she was.

"There you are, sleepyhead!" Sophie looked up at Dr. Park's masked face looming over her. "How do the braces feel?"

Sophie groaned, running her tongue across her teeth. Her mouth felt stuffed with metal, not only were her teeth completely covered, she felt a strange, uncomfortable device on the roof of her mouth. Oddly enough she felt she could just barely feel a slight vibration coming from it, though it was likely her imagination. Her mind was still a bit foggy from the gas.

Another face came into view. Abby Huang grinned, showing off a mouthful of pink orthodontia. Dr. Park held up a mirror, showing Sophie an identical installation in her own mouth.

"Now, I've already been over the basic details of the treatment with Abby, but you'll both be receiving an identical treatment as part of the study. All the appliances made of this model are marked with the same shade of pink, you may have noticed it on some of our staff. Now for the grand tour..." Dr. Park nudged Sophie's mouth further open with her gloved finger. "In addition to the standard braces, we've also installed a tongue crib and an expander. Within the expander is a small device that should gradually adjust it over time. It moves very slowly, so you won't feel any sudden painful adjustments, but you may notice a slight hum. It may be a bit annoying at first, but you'll grow accustomed to it soon enough."

Sophie made an uncomfortable grunt, but Dr. Park continued. "You'll also have to wear your elastics, let me demonstrate..." She placed a series of four rubber bands on Sophie's teeth, making her mouth feel just a bit more stuffed. "I'll be giving you some pamphlets about proper maintenance to take home, I expect you to look them over before your next appointment."

The chair began to raise again, and Quinn stepped over to undo the restraints one by one. Sophie sighed as she was finally able to move her body again.

She tried to climb out of the chair, but stumbled a bit, refusing be helped up by Quinn or Dr. Park.

Dr. Park spoke up. "We'd like to see you girls next week at the same time, if that works for you."

Sophie defeatedly nodded.

Abby perked up. "Let's go to the coffeeshop next door, it looked really cute!"

---

Sophie didn't know why she agreed, Abby was probably the last person she wanted to see right then.

Their mouths were too sore to order anything solid, but Sophie sipped her iced coffee while listening to Abby give an impromptu lecture on the devices stuffing their mouths.

Sophie wasn't paying much attention, though she did catch herself noticing how the pink braces complimented Abby's blue hair. She did have an odd cuteness about her.

Eventually, the pair went their separate ways. As Sophie got in her car, she noticed how aside from the annoying hum of the expander, she didn't seem to mind the braces as much as she thought she would. However, she still felt a bit foggy...

5.

Sophie spent the weekend wallowing in a confused self-pity. The braces wouldn't budge no matter how much she picked at them, and the tightness was almost impossible to get used to. Not to mention that odd hum, which continued all through the night and made Sophie's brain itch. Dr. Park was definitely wrong about it being something one could get accustomed to.

Still, there was something ever so slightly fascinating about them. The fact that someone had went into her mouth and installed something so disruptive gave Sophie a peculiar feeling she didn't know how to describe. And there was a strange beauty to them, not only was pink obviously her favorite color, but something about the harsh metal and plastic juxtaposed with her soft feminine mouth made her want to stare in the mirror forever.

For a moment, she wondered if there was such a thing as a braces fetish...

---

Finally, dreaded Monday came around. In any other class a mouthful of new braces would be a tad embarrassing, but not very noticeable. Dental hygiene school was a bit different, however.

Dr. Woods began the class by announcing a special lesson for the day: Caring for patients with braces. Sophie could see Abby practically bouncing in her seat, while she just sank into her desk.

Sophie and Abby were both be the class guinea pigs for the day, and were directed to a pair of examination chairs in the corner of the room. This wasn't unusual, Abby was always the first to volunteer, and Dr. Woods always seemed to like picking on Sophie.

The rest of the class was split in two, each surrounding one of the girls.

Sophie always hated this, looking up at a sea of her masked classmates, while they all took turns poking and prodding every inch of her mouth. Not to mention, part of their job was to recognize any failures in hygiene, of which Sophie was notorious for. She always dreaded being lectured by Dr. Woods while her classmates scraped away.

Today was especially uncomfortable, not only was there the added discomfort of her already sore jaw, her classmates had to explore every nook and cranny of her new appliances. She heard Dr. Woods remark that Abby's mouth was "spotless as always."

However, when it was time for Sophie's appraisal, the instructor raised an eyebrow. "I'm seeing quite an improvement today. Not perfect, but I can see you've been trying a bit more..."

Sophie was surprised, though, she did find herself brushing more often, for some reason it just satisfied that strange itch in her brain...

---

That night there was an online quiz posted about the day's lesson. Sophie opened it up, though she typically ignored these assignments. She finished quicker than usual, and her eyes widened at the result. A full 100%. There was no way she could have gotten that from just pure luck, was there?