Was it all worth it?

Message

#1 Post by **Jegarber** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 7:48 am

I finished my 2 and a half years with braces when I was in high school (I'm in college now) so I haven't thought about orthodontia a lot. But now my sister is getting braces, plus a herbst device and other nasty things and is going through a lot of pain. This makes me think about my own experiences a bit more.
I didn't have a choice about getting braces, my parents made me. When I asked why, the orthodontist would just show me the before and after x-ray pictures. After I got my braces off I thought, well I only suffered for a few years for a lifetime of better teeth. But was it really worth it? I hated having braces, losing my rubber bands, not being able to talk with a retainer in my mouth. And it's not really over! I still have to wear a retainer in order to keep my teeth from shifting back to where they were. But why? Why do everyone's teeth have to look the same? My teeth weren't so awful looking. If what they say is true and 70 % of people have malocusion, than we are in the majority and straight-toothed people should have braces to get their teeth bent! I'm exaggerating, of course, but I feel very strongly about this. Why should we be prisoners of society's view of what our mouths should look like? How are braces any different from other kind of mutilation, like, say, Chinese foot binding?
Thoughts?

#2 Post by **AMiles** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 2:43 pm

Finally! Someone who shares my opinions. This is the argument that I use with my mother all the time. I don't really think my braces are worth it.

#3 Post by **FuzzyPants** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 10:52 pm

As an adult who has had to pay for braces and surgery myself, I'd have to say it was worth it.

By correcting my bite I'm able to avoid dentures, bridges, or other costly dental work.

Think of it this way; foot binding takes away the ability to walk functionally, while having braces gives you the ability to bite or eat properly.

Please consider yourselves lucky. I wish braces were an option for me at a younger age.

#4 Post by **anastasia** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 3:55 pm

I kind of agree.

I have Invisalign now, and sometimes I'm wondering why I'm doing this. Especially since most people say they never noticed that I had crooked teeth in the first place..! And personally I think crooked teeth (on others) is unique and charming, and I absolutely think that people today are too obsessed with correcting every little bodily "imperfection".

In my case it will be worth it because I'm so obsessed with the way my teeth look, so having crooked teeth was affecting my general happiness. I've spent 10 years regretting almost daily that I never had braces when I was younger (my dentist and parents suggested it, but I said no thanks

). I feel a lot better already, just because I've started a treatment. And I know I will be ecstatic when I'm done!

Still, I really wish that I wasn't so obsessed with my teeth, that I could be perfectly happy with this small imperfection. But I'm too vain and self-conscious

One thought..: If you, like me, never had braces when you were a teen, you might have ended up like me now. I was never concerned about my teeth when I was younger, but as I grew older and was affected by society or whatever they started bothering me - more and more every year. Not having braces in my teens has been my biggest regret in life, maybe you should be thankful.
It's easy for people with straight teeth to say that they don't care, that's like a millionaire saying that money is no big deal.

#5 Post by **allisun** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:03 pm

Maybe your orthodontist was bad about explaining why you needed braces; there could have been things going on with your bite that would have caused problems later. In my case, I had some crowding but I could live with it. However, the x-rays showed that my jaw joints were being damaged by my teeth/bite being out of whack. A lot of the time, orthos don't explain this to teens, but they should! That's why I had an aborted attempt at braces when I was 16. No one would explain why I had to go through with braces if I was fine with the cosmetic appearance of my teeth, so I pitched a fit and they took everything off.

It's also possible that your teeth/bite were functionally OK and you would have been fine without braces. It's a legitimate concern. The first ortho consult I went to was really infuriating--I felt like I was talking to a car salesman, not a medical professional.

#6 Post by **Jegarber** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:56 am

I appreciate all of your comments, and they've made me think about experiences of others as well as my own experiences. I think that a major difference comes with age, and that society's expectations start to really take hold once one exits college, enters the job market, etc. I am also completely aware of the medical importance of orthodontia, and how it can save you from more painful or costly procedures in the future. In my case, though, I suspect it was more cosmetic than medical, which angers me because I unknowingly contributed to the pressure that encourages others to go through the same thing.

Right now I am conducting research at my university on the link between orthodontia and American societal values. I would love it if anyone would like to contact me directly with their comments/ experiences. If so, please email me at Jegarber@eden.rutgers.edu. Thanks!

#7 Post by **TumbleDryLow** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:17 am

I can't cite sources, but I know that I have read that "pretty people" will get picked for a job over a more average looking person of higher qualification. Sad but true, we are "looks" driven. Some may be biological:we are attracted to health, but some is definitely what we are programmed to believe from TV, news, magazines. Part of being pretty means having straight teeth. I think parents want to give their kids the best start in life and for many, that means giving their child the best smile possible. It's hard for me to see the harm since, if 70% of us have a malocclusion, then you aren't just being looks driven, you are also fixing a possibly problematic issue.

Personally I have a malocclusion, but if that was the only thing wrong with my teeth, and I had no pain or other issues, I would not have spent 7000 on orthodontics. In reality, my mouth was a mess and not pretty to look at. I didn't want to smile, and not smiling is just not a way to live life. My parents couldn't afford braces. I'm sure they would have given them to me if they could. So here I am at 35 with braces on my teeth. I hate to admit it, but in this case, I don't regret giving in to Hollywoodism. I have straight teeth for the first time in my life and I love it.

#8 Post by **anastasia** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 5:10 pm

Jegarber wrote: Right now I am conducting research at my university on the link between orthodontia and American societal values.

You should compare USA with Europe.

We're starting to obsess over our teeth here too, but it's not as crazy as it is in America. It's more accepted to have somewhat crooked teeth with a natural colour here, we actually think the all-american too-white chicklet smile is unattractive and ridiculous. Americans often criticise people with completely natural smiles because their teeth are "yellow", spaced etc. You have a completely unnatural ideal.

I think it might have become a new status symbol, like a tan or being skinny (or in the good old days: pale skin and a healthy amount of body fat, which meant you had plenty of food and didn't do any outdoors labour). Pearly white straight teeth means that you are wealthy, crooked and yellow means you are poor. I read somewhere a long time ago that in some black communities adults wore braces with pride - it meant they could afford to fix their teeth. Just a thought

#9 Post by **kirjax** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 6:11 pm

personally I got braces to boost my own confidence and make myself feel better. Not really for anyone else. So I put myself through this but I have to say it wasn't bad at all. The experience was just that and experience. Something though I do not regret. I have already built so much more self confidence in myself and that's something that I needed.

But I also got braces not only to correct my crowded teeth but to straighten my bite which essentially will help with the TMJ I was beginning to form from not having a good bite. Over the years I was always told straight teeth also produces healthy gums for the future. So I think the investment was well worth it.

Sat Mar 06, 2010 2:46 pm

Well I've just gone onto retainers and tonight I looked at an old pic of me pre-braces....it was definitely worth it!

I like the American attitude of wanting to achieve the utmost that they can (teeth included!). I encountered a few people here in UK who thought it was "vain" and "pointless" to want to improve my teeth in adulthood, whereas most of the youth here seem to be getting braces as the norm now.

Loving my new smile!

#11 Post by **Takako** » Sun Mar 07, 2010 1:41 pm

I got braces because I've always wanted them and felt self conscious about my crooked teeth. I've had them on for more than a year now and I'm SO HAPPY I did it! It's definitely worth it! I'm paying for them all on my own as well. My before and current pictures are SO dramatic there is no way I could say it hasn't been worth it. My oral health has improved greatly and that's worth it too. I'm going to be able to actually floss like a normal person when my braces come off!!

Did you know in Japan a certain style of crooked teeth is actually considered "cute"? Look up yaeba (I haven't seen any fetish pictures related to it so your search should be safe).