23 & FINALLY braced! I've only waited 13+ years...

[clearlybracedmomma23]

From as far back into my childhood as i can remember I've always struggled with how my teeth looked. They were big, EXTREMELY crooked on top with a very rotated canine and deep overbite. I was teased by a few people throughout grade school and was seen by an orthodontist once around the age of 12 where my step mom was told what braces treatment id need how long it would take and the cost, after that nothing.i wanted braces so so badly but growing up in very poor family it just wasn't something my parents saw as a reasonable financial investment, like it wasn't something necessary to do for me . As i entered middle and high school I never heard anything else about my teeth, I had tons of friends, I had boyfriends and knew i was a very beautiful girl but never gained confidence in my 'gangled' smile like i knew everyone else with their perfectly strait beautiful smiles had from either amazing genetics or braces back in grade school and middle school while id sat back an envied them for having parents who'd do that for them.My senior year of high school i had my wisdom teeth coming in and it was terribly painful and causing me to bite my cheeks in the back of my mouth over and over and so that year at 18 i had them removed, best pain relief ever! haha… little did i know my teeth that where already jacked up would begin to shift around even more in the years following their removal. My teeth got so bad, my bite was way off only fully connecting on my left side and not my right..and grinding down the tops of some of my front bottom teeth from rubbing the back of my top teeth every time i bit down and having my bite so far off on top of all that was downright uncomfortable! I was now faced with a bigger issue then just being uncomfortable with the cosmetic factor of my teeth but the fact that they were slowly being damaged in a way that was detrimental to their overall health and longevity. i knew what i had to do so i found the best orthodontist available in my area and made my first consultation. It went amazingly!! My dr. was so pleasant with an amazing staff and very strait forward and honest about my situation, everything i needed to know and all my options and i knew i had come to the right place. so now here i am, Im 23 years old the mother to a gorgeous two year old girl and engaged to be married to her amazing father whom, unlike my parents, supports me 100% and wants me to have a smile that makes me feel as gorgeous as i am as well as last me a lifetime and can also relate to the feeling ( he had braces at 15 for bad teeth and is thankful he was able to!) I have an estimated 2.5 years of treatment before I'm done and have given up pretty much every food that i love but its all absolutely worth every second! Before getting them on i was SO terribly nervous and worried about being even more unconfident in my smile then i already was once i had braces on my teeth while in my twenties. I was worried they'd look terrible or people would find them to be childish but my friends and my little family all reassured me id look great and it would go quickly and those feelings soon vanished after getting them on. Im now more confident with my smile then I've ever been before! I'm constantly smiling and showing off my braced teeth and my smile has already changed drastically in the few short months I've had them on. I chose to get the clear brackets knowing id be more comfortable with the look of them for my age over metal brackets. I had my top set put on March 14, 2014 followed by my bottom set on April 18, 2014 just a month later. Ive had one activation so far and all of my rotated molars have successfully de-rotated with the help of metal ties, with the exception of that severely rotated canine, its decided to be the rebel and take its sweet time but has made amazing progress no less! I also just started elastics on friday (four days ago) and am finally starting to get over the soreness they caused at first and also seeing a significant change in my rotated canine from the combination of a metal tie with a rubber ligature on top of it and the elastics attached to my canines. Im so excited about all the changes I've had already and the many more to come over the next couple years and can't wait to see the gorgeous end result at the end of treatment. While its happening a lot later in life then id hoped for i couldn't be any happier this is something I'm able to do for myself now as an adult, i believe the financial investment is 1000X worth it and i now know that braces as an adult is nothing to be ashamed of!

[touchofhiddencharm]

I'm 23 too. I got my braces last year and I'm almost done. It went by sooooooo fast!!! None of my friends cared about my braces or made fun of me. As soon as I seen the smallest amount of progress, I was instantly smiling a lot more and more confident. Congrats and your journey will be over before you know it! good luck

[bbqmax]

Im getting mine soon too.Im a little afraid ^^

[clearlybracedmomma23]

touchofhiddencharm its always nice to know I'm not the only one in my early twenties experiencing braces!i can't wait till i reach my year mark.its been going by so fast already I'm hoping it zooms by once I've hit that time mark


bbqmax don't be afraid! it doesn't hurt getting them on its just sore afterward for the first few days and just progressively gets easier from then on out. i recommend eating lots of hard crunchy foods and candies while you still can and invest in a nice electric tooth brush and a water pik for while you have them they've made cleaning my teeth a whole bunch easier and more effective

[lainii]

I'm 24 and getting mine in a month! Happy to know I'm not alone.

[Dii23]

I'm 27!! and I just got my braces ;D don't worry

[BeautifulDisaster]

I am 26 and about to get them for the first time. I have a similar story...my parents couldn't afford it when I was growing up. I'm taking the plunge not only to gain some confidence with a straight smile, but also to improve my long-term dental health.
I am glad you are now receiving the support you need to imrove your smile. It sounds like you have already seen a lot of progress. It won't be long before you have a perfect smile!

[clearlybracedmomma23]

I am 26 and about to get them for the first time. I have a similar story...my parents couldn't afford it when I was growing up. I'm taking the plunge not only to gain some confidence with a straight smile, but also to improve my long-term dental health.
I am glad you are now receiving the support you need to imrove your smile. It sounds like you have already seen a lot of progress. It won't be long before you have a perfect smile!

when do you get yours on? how long did your ortho say your treatment time would be? just out of curiosity (: i always knew growing up i wasn't the only kid who couldn't get them and promised myself id do it as an adult once it could be afforded.it makes me proud to be able to be able to keep such a huge promise to myself! I'm also happy about saving my long term dental health before it was too late and just as things were starting to go down hill too! i have now completed seven months of treatment and I'm blowing away i passed my half a year mark without even realizing it had already been that long and the amount of change in my teeth over the last seven months has been simply surreal to me! after so long of wondering what my teeth would look like strait I'm just blown away and they arnt even near complete yet

[Buttercup22]

Hey guys,

I am also in my twenties and about to begin my journey soon at the age of 22 Although a lot of us might wish we could have made this happen in our teens, I think that because it is now our own choice and we decide when to go through with this, and many of us have been to more than one consiltation and have even chosen between orthodontists, I think that the positive side of waiting this long is that we are now genuinely ready and will not take anything for granted along this journey.

Personally, I feel so lucky that I can start this journey myself at the age of 22. I would not have been ready to do this by myself any sooner (dental phobia), and my family did not feel the need to address the problem as it was something I could live with growing up. Therefore, it was easier all round to ignore rather than work through it (on both mine and my parents behalf). I know these reasons might be a bit different to most others but we now all have something in common - finally beginning our journeys!

Good luck to you all who are also just beginning, and congrats to everyone else on coming so far - what an achievement! Can't wait to see more updates

[parker123]

I agree. I was coerced into undergoing orthodontics and a bilateral mandibular osteotomy when I was younger. Perhaps if I had done it on my own schedule, I would have been able to prepare myself much better. As a result of the entire experience, I have PTSD and am on oral contraceptives to regulate my cycle. Doing something when you feel it is right is much better than having someone else, usually a family member, decide for you.

[BeautifulDisaster]

I am 26 and about to get them for the first time. I have a similar story...my parents couldn't afford it when I was growing up. I'm taking the plunge not only to gain some confidence with a straight smile, but also to improve my long-term dental health.
I am glad you are now receiving the support you need to imrove your smile. It sounds like you have already seen a lot of progress. It won't be long before you have a perfect smile!

when do you get yours on? how long did your ortho say your treatment time would be? just out of curiosity (: i always knew growing up i wasn't the only kid who couldn't get them and promised myself id do it as an adult once it could be afforded.it makes me proud to be able to be able to keep such a huge promise to myself! I'm also happy about saving my long term dental health before it was too late and just as things were starting to go down hill too! i have now completed seven months of treatment and I'm blowing away i passed my half a year mark without even realizing it had already been that long and the amount of change in my teeth over the last seven months has been simply surreal to me! after so long of wondering what my teeth would look like strait I'm just blown away and they arnt even near complete yet

I got them September 6th, just over 2 weeks ago! My estimated treatment time is 24 months.
I also knew this would be an investment I would make in myself as soon as I was able to. It makes the experience that much more rewarding.
I can't wait to start seeing significant progress. I'm glad things seem to be progressing smoothly for you.

[ashgerg]

So glad I'm not alone! My parents couldn't afford them either so now I am taking the plunge, not only for myself, but also for my 3 month old son. I want him to be proud to have a mom with a great smile! good luck everyone!

[Cadillacgrillz]

Wow I really identify with your story. Same with me I always wanted braces growing up to fix my crowded teeth but my parents couldn't afford them. Now that I'm 26 I'm so glad I got them put on its gonna be so worth it in the end

[nicolie825]

Also another person whos parents couldnt afford braces. 29 years old and have had mine for 4 months and already thrilled with the progress ive had! Looking forward to seeing your treatment progress.

[Buttercup22]

It's great to see so many people deciding to go through with this for themselves, it's amazing how so many comments are so positive! Glad to see there have been no regrets of getting braced as an adult as I am getting my braces next week!!

Sorry you had to go through all that as a child when you didn't feel ready Parker123. I think there is sometimes a fine line between making decisions on behalf of a child, and taking control away from a child. I'm sorry to hear that this has affected you but at least you are aware of these issues and you now have full control over your life. It is nice to know that you can now make all your own decisions, and nobody can force you to do anything you don't want to do - they can just choose whether to support you in whatever you decide now which I hope is empowering for you!