Flashback: Boy pulled gun on ortho to de-band in 1985

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#1 Post by **bbsadmin** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:57 am

A reader named Claire sent this article to me today, which was originally published in the New York Times in 1985. I thought you guys would find it interesting:

Boy Pulls Gun on Dentist To Get Braces Removed
Published: February 16, 1985

A 15-year-old boy who was determined to be rid of the braces on his teeth drew a gun on an orthodontist and told him he didn't care about going to jail, ''as long as I can have my bands off,'' the doctor said today.

The police eventually disarmed the boy after a struggle in which two shots were fired into the floor, said Jack Patterson, the Public Safety Director of Grosse Pointe Woods.

The orthodontist in a Detroit suburb, who was not the boy's regular dentist, said he stalled by removing a few of the bands and a wire that ringed the boy's teeth. He said he alerted members of his office staff, who called the police. The boy was not identified.

The orthodontist, who spoke on condition that his name not be used, said he first told the youth he would have to get his parents' permission. He said the boy then ''pulled out the .45 and he said, 'Would this make you take my bands off?' I said, 'Yeah, it would.' ''

When four officers arrived, the boy grappled with them. In the struggle his gun fired once, and a detective's gun fired when the boy grabbed it, Mr. Patterson said. Both shots hit the floor.

#2 Post by **starryadora** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:07 am

wow...that is unbelievable! Thank goodness no one was seriously hurt!

#3 Post by **Lisa65** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:10 am

Goodness! I guess he felt he'd had those braces on long enough

#4 Post by **chillin-in-grilz** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 3:51 pm

Wow!!! Crazy stuff

Website · #5 Post by **alexa** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 4:16 pm

Wow...and I thought -I- wanted my braces off badly!

#6 Post by **becks** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:27 pm

Oh sure Mery, point the finger at the rest of us

Wonder where that boy is today. That'd be an interesting where are they now.

#7 Post by **adrienne** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:19 pm

whoa .. were braces really that bad before?

Website · #8 Post by **alexa** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:48 pm

My g/f cut her archwire into pieces and broke some brackets off ... and presented them to her ortho. She felt this should be enough to get the message through to him, that she'd had enough. Ok ... as an adult she's damn annoyed with herself!

My boss took his braces off himself when he left home at 17. He did it with pliers. When I've complained about my braces over the last couple of years, he's offered to help me out...

#9 Post by **Zondrae** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 2:30 am

wow I know sometimes you FEEL like pulling a gun on your ortho......

I wonder how the boys teeth look now? Pretty bad I'd bet.