Braces

[Dingo Jellybean]

Anyone have them? What's your experience with them and why did you get them(most people will say their parents forced them to)? I've had my braces for exactly 1 year now, they're not as bad as they are initially. However, since I use invisible(ceramic) braces, they're easier to break...and they cost more(A LOT MORE).

They're pretty painful at first, when the wires are tightened up to put pressure on your teeth to move(and they're like that everytime the wires need to be adjusted) and it's not convenient when wires poke your gums either(a sign that lets you know the wires are doing their job of moving your teeth).

It's also a pain in the ass to brush too. It takes like, 3x longer to brush because you can't floss and you need to use a smaller brush. The ceramic braces are also tend to get a bit brown(though not too brown that it completely discolors them), so I'll probably have my teeth whitened after my braces come off.

Oh well, that's my experience with them. I decided to get braces because of my overbite and I felt I need to "look good" when I teach. Maybe when I get my braces off I'll move the lighting in a way so that when I smile, it'll shine right in the students' faces...that'll be the day.

[UltimateSpamGrover]

dont have them, maybe I'm too young to have them....

[Optium]

I had them for a few years, then when I got them off I had to wear that
damn retainer and I sort of gave up on that after a couple months, then
when I went to put it on a little while later it didn't fit. Now my teeth are
messed up again. :\

I'll never get braces again though, it sucks that the norm in America is
perfect teeth. I'm moving to England!

.opt

[Hawkeye]

yep i had them. 2 years of agony (actually, after the 1st 18months, they dont become as painfull )

after that is your retainer, which you live with till your 21. good luck

[Dingo Jellybean]

Yeah, the retainer is key to maintaining the teeth in their form. I plan to keep wearing it until I die. It's annoying to wear the retainer, but eh...at least you can remove it.

Initially I wanted the Invisalign, but it would cost 2500 more so I said it and went with the ceramic braces. But eh. It's funny how the US keeps making fun of England for crooked teeth, but I don't think England is like that at all. They're probably more teeth obsessive than we are.

[White Raven]

Yep, I had braces for 6 years. All throughout highschool and my first year of University. That doesn't count the time before that where they were widening, yanking and doing a whole bunch of stuff in my mouth.

Right now, I have a "permanant" retainer. It's just a wire going inside my upper and lower row of teeth. I can hardly feel them at all now. So in the end, braces have been the life save for me.

[Logan]

I got them in sixth grade because my parents made me and my teeth were crooked on top, and they came off when I was a freshman. I hated my retainer, and still do, and I hardly wear it (I'm supposed to wear it to bed but sometimes I don't ). My teeth are a little crooked, but nowhere near as bad as they were when I started.

[Rye]

I'm part of the 2% that don't need/have braces. My teeth were always pretty much perfect. They're even a good size, like big in a good way, like model teeth.

My brother got braces though. His teeth aren't very good.

[Emily52]

I'll never get braces again though, it sucks that the norm in America is
perfect teeth. I'm moving to England!

And what is that supposed to mean?????

[Yamaneko]

Everyone knows Brits have... uhhh....

I had them for four years. My teeth are nicer looking now.

[bennator]

Braces were awful...unfortunetly, my orthodontist messed up, and I need another round of braces in the future *shoot me*

[Angelroo]

i get mine off in 2 weeks!! god i hated them

[Optium]

It wasn't a bash at England, it was praise. I said I want to move there
because unlike in America, (from what I've seen at least) you don't have
to have perfect teeth to be looked at the right way. I don't think perfect
teeth are important enough to spend the amount of money that's spent
on braces on, so props to any society which hasn't accepted braces as
the norm for children in grade school.

.opt

[612904398619]

my dentist said i could have braces if i wanted to, but my teeth were okay without them.

[The Captain]

I also have never needed braces. Though I should probably floss a bit more, I try to take good care of my teeth and that has perhaps allowed me to have healthy, straight teeth all my life.

Take care all.