I was hoping to open this thread with a link to the original that I posted about halfway through 2006, but it seems to have disappeared of the face of the forums. So I'll recap:
I made the thread after finding out that I had to have eight teeth removed and then go through orthadontic treatment, which I wasn't too happy about, so I asked other people for their experiences with the metal monstrosities.
So now, around 22 months after I first got my braces on, they have been removed.
Is it magical?
Not really. Perhaps I had hyped it up too much in my mind, probably owed to a lot of people raving about how interestingly slimy and smooth your teeth feel when you get them off. Turns out they just felt like they used to before the braces, and it didn't even seem wierd. Perhaps it's also due to the fact that I didn't have them on for as long as some people do. Or maybe I just don't lick the front of my teeth all the time like a retard. Who knows?
My most immediate thought when I saw my framework free smile was that my teeth are too big. I already knew I had big teeth beforehand, but seeing them without the braces on to decorate made the space between the bottom of the tooth and my gum so monumental. I considered for a while if anyone had ever gotten a tiny picture engraved on their teeth, just to make them more interesting.
To top it off, the bar they have situated behind my bottom front teeth had given me a lisp.
Needless to say, I left the orthadontist feeling remarkably disheartened, but still intent on pursuing my much anticipated return to the normality of eating, I bought an apple on my way home (I hadn't eaten one since when I first got my braces due to the difficulty of removing the skin from... everywhere).
Was
it magical?
Not really. Although it tasted great, as they used to, I had totally forgotten how to eat them and got juice all over my pants.
Later in the day, I returned to the orthodontist to get my retainer, which is one of the
transparent, mouthguard type ones. Which gives makes me talk like a spastic, and makes it bothersome to just eat snacks (I have to take it out to eat)
I was planning to take a photo of myself post-braces (to send to my parents, requesting friends elsewhere, etc.) but after all this, I can't be bothered.
In summary, I kinda wish I still had my braces on.
* * *
This would be the end of my post had I created it on the day that my braces were removed. However, as time has gone on I've gotten a bit better at talking (still can't say "I never thought I'd leave the city" properly, points for reference), have gotten more used to the fact I have to brush my teeth most times I eat something, and a compliment I received on my smile has dispelled my 'big teeth' issues. I still think it was overhyped, but not as bad as I initially made out I guess. So now I have to learn to change my natural smile back from closed mouth to open.
TL;DR version:
I got my braces off and thought it was overrated, cried like a little girl, then mostly got over it. Discuss your own experiences with them.