I'm not yet braced but the plan is to be braced by the beginning of the year. I called to set-up a consult with the ortho today but somehow managed to get disconnected so I have to call back tomorrow. There is no doubt that I will be braced, and I will have a very long journey ahead of me.
I had braces in elementary and middle school (had them on for about 4 years) but I was young and didn't take care of them like I should have. The ortho got tired of me and decided to take them off. Now years later I am 23 and wishing I would have done what I was suppose to do a long time ago.
I don't know exactly what will have to be done but I do know my problems. I have a tongue thrust, severe open bite, my bite is crooked, weak chin and jaw, and crooked teeth, very narrow palate, and a missing tooth (soon to be 2 missing teeth). And some TMJ problems. (The open bite has gotten worse because of the tongue thrust, but the tongue thrust is the result of an open bite because of an accident I was in at age 7).
I went for an ortho appointment a couple of years ago but I had to get my gums healthy again before I could do anything and then I post-poned going to the dentist because I do have a slight dental phobia after lots of bad experiences. The last ortho I went to and the one I plan on going to again told me treatment will be at least 2 years, he's unsure if I will have to have surgery at this time but it is a possibility (I'm keeping faith that I won't have to because insurance won't cover surgery and I don't have money to pay for it out-of-pocket).
Here is a before picture (sorry for the bad quality it is a iPhone picture)...
