While growing up, I often heard people with braces complain about how irritating they could be. I never really paid much attention to all the negatives that come with having braces.
I always wanted them as a child. I was focused on getting them to have the picture perfect smile that I had always wanted. Ever since elementary school, I had a strong distaste for my teeth due to the snide comments other children would make. Or the remarks adults would make and play it off as a harmless joke.
Even as a young girl, I already had a deep discomfort in my body and image. I still feel those strong, distasteful feelings in the present sometimes. I spend half an hour almost every day, looking in the mirror, fixing or reapplying makeup, making sure my outfit and hair looks good. I developed the overwhelming feeling of paranoia. Often feeling like people in the halls stare, judging everything about me, anything in the slightest out of place. I always feared how people perceived me, particularly my face and its features. While I know these thoughts were irrational, of course I know no one actually pays close attention to how another person looks, but the thoughts were always in the back of my mind.
Whether the desire for braces was from my hatred for my teeth or the fact I thought they looked cool is still unknown to me. When I was told by my mom that I would finally be having a consultation last year to see if I needed braces, I was completely ecstatic. I ended up getting my top braces the same day and a couple weeks later got my bottoms.
However, after a few months of having them, I’ve come to realize how much the negatives weigh. Having to deal with food getting constantly stuck between the brackets after every meal is not something I look forward to when I wake up. Not only that, but the wires are so easy to bend. A few weeks ago, I was just eating some bacon for breakfast and -BAM- wire bent.
Not to mention the pain of having your brackets tightened, the only positive there is I always convince my mom to get me Starbucks or ice cream because it “helps with the pain” (wink wink). After having your brackets tightened, it’s supposed to help if you consume food that has a colder temperature. Personally, it hurts the same amount regardless of whether you have hot or cold food previous to getting your brackets tightened.
There are many downsides to having braces that I wish I was more aware of before I decided to get them. If I had, I think I’d rather have gotten an alternative such as Invisalign retainers. With Invisalign, I wouldn’t have to stop eating some of the foods I loved just because of the potential of breaking a bracket or bending a wire. I wouldn’t have to constantly fish food out from my teeth or deal with the annoyance of feeling metal in my mouth every day.
If you’re considering getting braces, I recommend considering Invisalign instead. From what I’ve heard, it’s easier to deal with and -while there is some controversy- Invisalign can correct misalignment of one’s teeth faster. According to Wellesley Dental Arts, “certain studies have shown that Invisalign treatment is much faster than braces. On average, Invisalign takes about 6 – 18 months, while metal braces take about 20 – 24 months.”
Overall, I completely recommend getting Invisalign instead of braces for better comfort and faster correction of teeth.
