33 Year Old Lawyer, Should Get Out in 18 to 24
Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 3:30 pm
Long time reader, first time poster. Here's my story:
Like many, I've always wanted pearly white, impeccably straight teeth. I would have probably been satisfied with eggshell-hued, not-so-noticeably-crooked teeth that hadn't started to decay seemingly while I was still in utero. Heck, I'd even take my own damaged, distorted teeth so long as I could magically correct the upside-down vampire fangs that periodically caused me to bite myself yet, to their credit, did save me money on Halloween costumes.
I am grateful that, when I was eight, my parents had enough sense to get me a removable appliance to correct a horrific underbite, but they couldn't afford braces by the time I was old enough to know to ask for them. So, I subconsciously learned to talk without revealing what lay beneath. Needless to say, very few people have any photos of me smiling.
Fast forward a few years, I had to work full-time to put myself through college, and by the end, it didn't seem sensible to spend my meager savings just to feel Marcia Brady "ugly, ugly, ugly" during my early twenties. Since then, my standard of living steadily improved, and I even had several orthodontic consultations each time I felt that enough was finally enough.
Unfortunately, I never seemed to possess the optimal level of time, money, and courage to bite the B-word bullet. Instead, I researched veneers. I lusted after Invisalign. I fantasized about implants. In reality, most practitioners told me that yes, I really would need braces, extractions, and possibly jaw surgery. Jaw. Surgery. It all seemed so vain. Once, however, I did go so far as to have my sad teeth professionally whitened, if only to give the illusion of beauty from a very far distance.
Now, I am a 33-year old attorney with somewhat more money and a lot more courage. Time, however, is a funny commodity. Every year, I feel a growing sense of regret for not fixing what I always knew was wrong, and an equally growing dread of spending the rest of my career with a face I don't care to recognize, not to mention a TMJ that has been known to click while I eat. A few months ago, I finally made moderate peace with time's irreversible, unstoppable depletion, so I picked up the phone once more and called, of course, an orthodontist.
To make a long story a little less long, I got my braces on this morning! I am grateful to the people who have posted here; if it hadn't been for the inspiring stories on this forum, I suspect I might never have had the guts. So, many thanks.
Like many, I've always wanted pearly white, impeccably straight teeth. I would have probably been satisfied with eggshell-hued, not-so-noticeably-crooked teeth that hadn't started to decay seemingly while I was still in utero. Heck, I'd even take my own damaged, distorted teeth so long as I could magically correct the upside-down vampire fangs that periodically caused me to bite myself yet, to their credit, did save me money on Halloween costumes.
I am grateful that, when I was eight, my parents had enough sense to get me a removable appliance to correct a horrific underbite, but they couldn't afford braces by the time I was old enough to know to ask for them. So, I subconsciously learned to talk without revealing what lay beneath. Needless to say, very few people have any photos of me smiling.
Fast forward a few years, I had to work full-time to put myself through college, and by the end, it didn't seem sensible to spend my meager savings just to feel Marcia Brady "ugly, ugly, ugly" during my early twenties. Since then, my standard of living steadily improved, and I even had several orthodontic consultations each time I felt that enough was finally enough.
Unfortunately, I never seemed to possess the optimal level of time, money, and courage to bite the B-word bullet. Instead, I researched veneers. I lusted after Invisalign. I fantasized about implants. In reality, most practitioners told me that yes, I really would need braces, extractions, and possibly jaw surgery. Jaw. Surgery. It all seemed so vain. Once, however, I did go so far as to have my sad teeth professionally whitened, if only to give the illusion of beauty from a very far distance.
Now, I am a 33-year old attorney with somewhat more money and a lot more courage. Time, however, is a funny commodity. Every year, I feel a growing sense of regret for not fixing what I always knew was wrong, and an equally growing dread of spending the rest of my career with a face I don't care to recognize, not to mention a TMJ that has been known to click while I eat. A few months ago, I finally made moderate peace with time's irreversible, unstoppable depletion, so I picked up the phone once more and called, of course, an orthodontist.
To make a long story a little less long, I got my braces on this morning! I am grateful to the people who have posted here; if it hadn't been for the inspiring stories on this forum, I suspect I might never have had the guts. So, many thanks.
Keep us posted & give us some pics. Hope things aren't too painful for you over the next couple of days. I plan to ask for some very powerful pain relievers.