Harryo's Orthodontic Adventure

Many people get to share the joys of a trip to the orthodontist. Ah yes, poking, prodding, teeth molds making you gag, the whole experience tends to be a joyous affair. But as much as we all enjoy the thrill of a new head gear our excitement couldn't even match that of Harryo when the dentist came to visit her at Hardwick Hall to fix some crooked teeth.

Knowing what we do about the art of dentistry in the eighteenth century you may not be surprised when I say Georgiana wrote as a fretful and concerned mother about her twelve year-old daughter's experience.

"My poor Harryo has had her four front teeth brought over by Mr Bott. The operation lasted 3 hours, and, I am afraid, was dreadful, but she is setting by me tollerably easy and with three very pretty even teeth instead of their standing edgeways ; and besides, there is now perfect room for her eye teeth which before were so close we were afraid she must have had 2 double teeth out to make room. The agony was, I fear, very great. I dar'd not go to her lest I shd destroy her courage. She describes it like the slow pain of drawing out a tooth, continu'd a long while without the crash."

Ouch!  One must wonder what she did in her recovery time to keep herself occupied since movie rental wasn't invented yet.