What was the last straw for you?

[Mary Crawley]

My last straw was looking through my wedding pictures and realizing I was embarrassed by my teeth in all of them. I have an overbite and overjet, and braces/surgery has been recommended to me by more than one orthodontist. I'm finally able to afford the braces and since the surgery is covered by my insurance, I decided to just go for it. My consultation with the surgeon is tomorrow!

[Matilda]

Many times over the past years I remember looking in the mirror and thinking to myself how much better I'd look if I had straight teeth. One day in 2012 I woke up and decided that I simply don't want to live with my crooked teeth anymore. I made the call that I should have made a long time ago and the rest is history.

[arciedee]

I don't know that there was any particular epiphany. I've wanted to straighten my teeth since I was a pre-teen, but was always told it was cosmetic. As an adult it took me a few years to feel comfortable with the idea of altering my appearance. As much as I wanted to change my teeth I got a lot of, "Oh, they look fine to me," or "I think they give you character!" so I thought maybe I needed to work on accepting my teeth as they were.

Ultimately I think it was the combination of pestering by a dentist (I don't think she was concerned about my dental health so much as she was hoping I'd jump on board with ClearCorrect, which she had just started offering... I go to a different dentist now!) and just feeling like I was tired of feeling shy about smiling. I was tired of inspecting every picture of myself to see if you could see my crowded teeth or if my chin was too far back.

I initially went to a consult just to do some research, but when I got in the seat I realized that I'd really made my decision already and I was ready to do this! It also helped to hear back from the orthodontist that I had a few issues aside from the crowding that needed to be addressed. It wasn't all cosmetic, as I had thought, and this really would benefit my overall oral health. It's been a bumpy ride at times, but ultimately I'm very glad I'm finally doing this for myself.

[sara2280]

For me it wasn't a cosmetic thing. I liked my teeth and smile and often got compliments on it. I had a open bite but it wasn't that noticeable unless I pointed it out. I too, had a dentist that kept suggesting Invisalign to fix my open bite. He was, I'm pretty sure was just trying to sell me something more. He never gave a clinical reason to fix my bite. I was tired of the constant pressure by my dentist that I switched to a different dentist, that happens to be a friend of mine. I trusted her so I went for a check up and never mentioned my open bite or previous experience. She did a very thorough exam and measured my open bite. She also said that I had ablotnof excessive wear on my back teeth due to my open bite. I asked what the excessive wear meant and she said that if left untreated my bite would eventually collapse and would cause my lower jaw to shift forward because my back teeth wouldn't be able to support it anymore. Her assistant suggested Invisalign but she quickly said no and suggested that I get traditional orthodontics. She then made me a referral to an orthodontist. I had braces for 3 years as a kid so I knew what to expect. I called and made an appointment with the orthodontist, it was a free consult after all. In that consult the ortho said My dentist was right and also said I had a cross bite on my right side (this was new, I just knew about the open bite). Although he had his assistant take impressions and had me come back a week later so he could think on my case. He said I was a tough case (always nice to hear that) He also said that I was not a cosmetic case but a medical one. He had suggested full braces with elastics for 12-18 months. He also agreed that Invisalign would not be good for retention for my case. After talking to my husband, my best friend, and my mom I decided to go for it. Figured it was better to get my treatment out of the way and paid for before my kids needed orthodontic treatment. So here I am, one and a half months in and I don't regret it one bit. I do get a lot of questions though why I got braces so then I have to explain the bite issues and damage to my back teeth.

[djspeece]

My first straw was my last straw, actually. I had recently changed dental practices, and needed an infected crown extracted in the back of my mouth. I had just assumed I would be needing an implant, but the dentist made a strong case for braces in terms of long term dental health, and I spoke with the ortho who works in the practice. I had a few minor cosmetic issues that really didn't bother me all that much, and was pleased with my smile. But, her objective analysis carried the day, and I decided then and there to get them. I make decisions very quickly once the facts and options are known. Best of luck to you in any event!

[gtkimo]

I really only had slight crowding on the bottom. But it was enough that it annoyed me.

[ducky1900]

All of my permanent teeth came in crowded. And all my speech issues I had when I was a kid have started coming back=[ I finally saved up enough money to get them fixed=]

[kimbot]

I've never been happy with my teeth/smile, but I had learned to get over it for the most part when I entered my early/mid 20's. I had an ortho assessment done when I was 21 and was told I'd need 4 teeth pulled and just generally didn't like the Dr's attitude. I abandoned all interest in braces and carried on with life.
A year ago my dentist told me that due to me clenching my jaw and grinding my teeth at night, I was starting to get stress fractures in my teeth. I was wearing a nightguard so I asked why this would still be happening and he told me it was because my jaw and my bite weren't aligned. After he told me I had the wear pattern of someone twice my age and that this road didn't lead anywhere but down, I decided it was time to get another assessment. I found a different Dr that I found much more pleasant to deal with, and more willing to listen to what I wanted and was willing to do. I agreed to the treatment plan and was braced in July 2013 and have another 18-24 months to go :)

[Ataerys14]

I've always been quite a nervous patient which hasn't helped but trying to hide my teeth at work and in photos became too much. Then I found out I have gum disease made worse by crowding and the mention of losing teeth made me see he light. Finally found an orthodontist (haven't actually been braced yet) but who makes me feel at ease and the very first to advise I only need one tooth pulled (it had always been 4 due to overcrowding) so this was he final push I needed...oh and finding this site had been amazingly positive also

[JumpTheDitch]

It wasn't really a 'last straw' situation for me. Once the cause of my near-constant headaches then migraines was identified as a retracted mandible, the only options were either wearing a splint forever, or reversing my earlier ortho work. Doing nothing was literally not an option. Once I started wearing the splint my headaches disappeared like magic. No more migraines . When I moved into braces (again), initially the molar build ups weren't quite as high as the splint had been - back came the headaches immediately . Build up the build-ups some more - no more headaches again ! It was like flicking a switch, making the course back into braces an imperative for me, rather than an option. Unfortunately people only see the straight teeth & look a bit confused as to why I'm in braces, it'd be easier if my teeth were visibly crooked; people don't tend to understand there's a health aspect rather than a cosmetic one.

But no one does this just for the fun of it, good luck with your treatment!

[mehogeni]

oh WOW well this brings up some memories...especially since I'm almost out of these braces in a few months (hopefully)!

I went on a trip to Puerto Rico, happiest time of my life with my boyfriend. Long story short I hated every single picture of myself because of my smile. Overbite, gap, crooked teeth....I usually know(knew) how to pose so my teeth wouldn't look so bad. On this trip, I said to h*ll with "posing' and I paid the price. I was tired of being afraid to smile big because of how I might look. I love smiling and talking sooooo enough was enough at that point....

I'm sitting here recovering from a gingivectomy and frenectomy and i STILL haven't regretted the decision. I smile more in braces than I ever have before and I look cute as a button now

[Katzchen]

I was told by the dentist that I would loose three of my bottom teeth dint the next ten years due to an upper scissor bite tooth that is literally pushing them out of my mouth. I don't want to have dentures t fourth, so I'm picking the braces.

[parapian]

I never liked my open bite, but my dentist never suggested orthodontic treatment, so I left things where they were. Then 1) I saw a video of myself and my teeth from an angle I'd never seen, and 2) a new dentist enumerated all of my dental problems in one paragraph and essentially warned me that if I didn't fix my bite, my problems would only get worse. "Your problem is not just an aesthetic one; it's a medical one" was my last straw.