Yes, just like ‘Ugly Betty’ I have got fixed metal braces on both sets of teeth – just had them fitted, and they will be in place for 18 months!
One part of me (after I had tooth and jaw ache for 3 days after having them applied) wondered “why oh why did I do this again?” but my more ‘sensible’ side told me to get on with it, and it will all be worth it at the end!
I had braces as a teenager you see. But being young and stupid I demanded that they be removed before my treatment had ended. I probably had about 6 months to go until *perfect teeth* but now I will have to wear them for 18 months and then wear a retainer to sleep -every night, forever! A few people have expressed surprise that braces still work when you are an adult – that you can still get results, and I have to confess that I wasn’t sure they’d be viable when I went to ask the dentist, but indeed you can, and the Treatment Co-ordinator at my Orthodontist told me she had her braces applied at the age of 38 and taken off at 40 and never regretted it!
When I was a teen, I’d just started seeing my boyfriend (who became my husband), and I had braces, spots, glasses and was overweight. I was the most tragic teen *looks wise* that there was, and I’d become fed up with it all and just wanted to be pretty like my friends! So I asked for my braces to be taken off, so I could snog my boyfriend all day and night with no chafing! (I didn’t tell them that of course!)
So I got what I asked for and the braces came off and I was happy, but when I got into my late twenties, I started to wish I had *perfect teeth*! It was just a niggling thought that was always there, but I was self conscious about my crooked teeth, not so you would notice, but the fact that I didn’t have the ‘perfect arc’ smile like you see on TV would always be on my mind. So I decided to take the plunge – again! It is very true that you can’t put an old head on young shoulders!
This time I’m older and wiser *guffaw!* but at least I understand the commitment I’m making and am prepared for the dentist visits every 6 weeks to get the brace tightened, the fact that I have to thoroughly brush my teeth and brace after every single meal which takes a good 5 minutes each time, and that I have finally given up drinking Diet Coke (and fizzy drinks in general) because I was warned that my addiction to Diet Coke would rot my teeth (which I knew but chose to ignore before) but now, with braces fitted it means that if I continued to drink Diet Coke, there was a strong possibility that I’d have little white squares on each tooth when the brace came off, after the teeth around the brace got eroded.
This was finally the kick up the backside I needed to ditch the Diet Coke, which I had an addiction to- I had a headache for 3 days after I stopped which was the sugar/ sweetener withdrawal, but quitting has made me definitely snack less, and I’ve visibly lost weight after just 3 weeks.
So braces in place I was a bit shy at first, my speech was slightly affected- I felt like I had a lisp, and I didn’t really want anyone to notice my braces. My kids (7 and 3) said that I look ‘sparkly’ with them and I look like I have jewels on my teeth, so I decided to embrace the mouth bling and just tell people “I’ve added a little extra sparkle into my life” if they ask about my brace!
People do notice- my friends who know me well enough to ask directly have all asked about the brace! But bless him, my dad didn’t notice. I sat through a Sunday Lunch with him waiting for him to notice and ask, and when I actually said “Dad- can you see anything different about me?” he said “You’ve had Botox!”
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2 Responses to The Truth About Getting Braces in Your 30′s!
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At least you had a boyfriend as a bracey teen, TMM! I had braces from ages 14-16 (along with spots) and no boys would touch me with a barge pole. I tried to demand that the braces be removed after 2 months, but my mum wouldn't let me!
I haven't ever noticed that you have crooked teeth … will be keeping a beady eye out next time I see you (unless I don't see you for ages until they're all fixed!) x
Haha Professor you are right! But I wish my mum hadn't let me take off mine! Phone your mum right now and say a massive "Thank You"- she deserves it!
Many people have said they have never noticed my teeth being that bad but it was something that bugged me. They overlapped slightly at the bottom and my top 2 front teeth stuck out a bit! If you scan your beady eye over my teeth now they are much straighter- even after such a short space of time! Yay!