I'm 26 and I have braces...

I've had them now for a little over 6 months and my teeth look perfect! It has been an experience with highs and lows. Right after I got them I went into the parking lot, sat in my car and cried for 20 minutes. It was horrible. Then I got over it and got used to them. At Christmas time I found myself sitting around talking to my two cousins, both have braces (one is 15 and the other is 13) comparing "braces" stories. Every month I go to the ortho to get them tightened and they put new bands on my brackets and everytime they ask me "what color do you want!" and I reply, "um...the least obvious please!"

Then about a month ago, I went to the ortho thinking it was just for them to tighten them again like always...oh no, they made me wear rubber bands and not just on the sides like most people with braces do, i had to wear 4 bands that went all across the front of my mouth. I could barely open my mouth and could not even stick out my tongue to lick my lips. They said that if I wore them for 22 hours a day I would only have to wear them for a month. Well I did my best wearing them ALL the time and it paid off because I don't have to wear them anymore and they said my bite looks almost perfect! This is a very happy time because it has finally sunk in that I'm actually going to have straight teeth!