The beginning...

My teeth aren't terribly crooked, but they're also not wonderful either. Growing up, I've always wanted to fix my teeth so that they'd be straight. I don't have such a terrible bite that it interferes with eating or talking. I'll be honest here, straightening my teeth for aesthetic reasons was always my main motivator for getting braces...improving my bite was, and remains, a secondary reason (Not that I'm downplaying the importance of having a correct bite. I know it's important. It's just not my main reason for getting braces). And now that I have the means to do so at 29, I made it a resolution that I'd actually get around to doing something about my teeth this year. And I got around to getting my ass in gear in early March.

Initially, I wanted to go with Invisalign, for the convenience that it provides, and the fact that it is unobtrusive. Went to my dentist, found out I wasn't a candidate for Invisalign due to my crossbite, and got referred to an orthodontist for traditional braces. The dentist told me that it would be best to treat my crossbite with braces instead of Invisalign. I really was hoping that the orthodontist, with more experience and expertise, would be able to treat me with Invisalign. Lo and behold, during the consult, the orthodontist basically told me what the dentist had said was true--I'd be needing braces if I wanted to get my teeth straight. Invisalign would just not work well for me, he said, that and the treatment time would take far too long to straighten my teeth with Invisalign.

At this point, I had a bit of a back and forth going on inside my head. On one hand, I do want straight teeth, and if getting traditional braces is the way to do it, then so be it. The fact that my health insurance would cover $3000 out of the quoted $6995 was pretty sweet. On the other hand, my teeth really weren't that bad. I could live with them for the rest of my life. I mean, they were functional, and I've had them for the past oh, 18 years or so, and they've never given much of trouble, bite wise. Sure, my teeth wouldn't be straight, but they worked just fine for me. Did I really want to put myself through 2 years of braces for something that really was just an aesthetic thing?

The answer was yes.

So, after paying $3715.35 to one of the local orthodontist office last week, I went and got my braces put on today (well, technically yesterday since I am posting this after midnight). So far, things are alright, I guess? As well as I can expect with getting braces. Though I am learning that everything about braces are pretty much a big pain in the ass. But at the end of the two year, it would be worth it. Plus, I really did want to do this...so I must endure it all.

And to end my first entry, some pictures...

My "before" teeth. Guess I won't be seeing them ever again.

Me with braces.