Sooo.. I got braces a year and a half ago. I had been wanting them since I was about 14? I think that is about the age where EVERYONE was getting them. My Father wasn't too keen on the idea, well.. any idea of spending money on dental issues. Which is okay, wasn't the end of the world for me because I knew I would eventually just buy them for myself (even if I was extremely envious of everyone else having shiny, white and straight teeth by the time we graduated! Teenage probs). Anyway.. It happened when I was 30. I decided, "Hey! For my 30th year on Earth (29 at the time) I am going to finally get those things!" and I did. As soon as I got them on I felt like I was transported back to 1998 and felt SO behind, haha. Kind of a ridiculous reaction, but after a short year and a half I get them off on the 5th of this month! I am really pumped, like most people with adult braces this has been a long want. About 18 years of want! I feel old. Not really important enough to warrant a forum post, but I am excited. I'm not telling anyone I am getting them off for sort of a surprise thing, so I needed to tell someone!
I am glad you posted this --- i currently need braces but am not in the financial position to get them. BUT SOON, looking forward to them. I hope you get the best surprise reactions from your friends. Best of luck man!
@momo2can Hi! You are welcome. It definitely took me a while to get to a place where I could afford them. Even when I could I had to close my eyes and jump. I took one of the payment options, still pretty spendy but it is what worked for me! I can't wait for you to get yours, so worth it.
I hope you get some fun reactions! Also, don't worry about having them as an adult. My aunt had them a few years ago, and she's like 50 something.
I hope so too! I direct a choir here with about 40ish members and our practice is right after my appointment. Going to walk in smiling for sure It certainly is never too late, people like your aunt were always a "braces inspiration" for me haha.
@Just1Dude well, now you can rock those pearly whites at the choir session. As a kid it was kind of fun always seeing people go "OMG you're braces came off." and then all the other kids would just hover over the person to see. Let's see how long it takes for them to notice. @BothWaysSecret yeah, better late than never.
Yes it was, haha. Almost like a mini celebration! I had a friend who was crushed when she didn't get hers off for prom. Man, all the small drama of school lol.
@Just1Dude don't forget to wear your retainer after you get them off. I got mine off years ago, and stopped wearing my retainer for a while and the gap between my two front teeth started to come back.
@BothWaysSecret Oh definitely! I am still torn on what type of retainer I want. I am pretty sure I am going to go with the clear. I keep telling myself how glad I am that I waited until I was an adult. I definitely would not have taken care of them like I should have when I was a kid, I was a lazy boy lol.
@BothWaysSecret I'm glad they can be replaced. I may be more responsible, but I am definitely a bit more "absent-minded" than I used to be, haha. @momo2can Oh, definitely! Not only did I take care of them better than I would have as a kid, but it gave me a good excuse to kick the bad eating habits that I would have scoffed at as a kid. You also have the feeling of "I paid for these myself because I am established!" Well.. at least that is what I told myself
Oh god i totally forgot that there were food restrictions with braces. I am basically in love with gum, so that's going to be a challenge. oh i definitely get the whole "paid for myself...". When i pay for something, i take much better care of the items compared to when someone else buys it for me.
Letting go of gum was hard. I am deathly afraid of having bad breath and orbit was always my go to. I have to admit I am going to be glad to have that back!
I am conflicted, do i start practicing for the future by starting to give up gum, or do i take in as much of it as i can before i give it up. I was so not ready for this!
Awesome, I hope you have a confident smile! I had braces when I was a kid, but my teeth shifted a bit since apparently my four front upper teeth are a bit smaller than they should be. They look okay and they're straight and everything, but there's a bit of space between them that I don't like so after thinking about it for a few years I decided to bite the bullet and am getting veneers put on those four on Tuesday. I really hope this helps me be less self-conscious about smiling in front of people because that's been bothering me for a while.
Thank you, I hope so too. I have thought about veneers as well. When I was little I was in an accident and busted my front teeth. They have to be re-done every once in a while because they will crack and can't be kept clean. Very frustrating. Let me know how your process goes, I bet they will look great!
