I'm asked this question almost every day. I'm always struck why people ask this since I always thought getting braces was a no brainer. I guess we force our children to wear these painfully awkward metal contraptions rather than asking their thoughts so therefore it seems only logical that an adult would need a reason to CHOOSE to wear braces.
When you have braces (or any physical anomaly, really) complete strangers feel they are entitled to share with you their personal experiences with whatever you have going on. That's ok. We're social people, I appreciate that in more ways than one. One adult with braces told me she has inner ear problems and she got braces to fix that, NOT (she stressed) for cosmetic reason. This one in particular struck me as borderline insulting, as if to say most adults who choose to get braces are doing it purely for self-centered reasons.
But you know what? That is one big reason why I have them. I'm mid-30s. I, like many women, have a grocery-list of items I want to change about myself. I have been diligently chipping away at said list for the past 5 years and my teeth are the very last item before checkout, yay!
Let's add that to the fact that I am a Speech-language Pathologist with a growing private practice specializing in pediatrics. Doesn't look very good when your speech therapist has a bottom row of snaggly teeth, right?
Hence my decision to bite the bullet (so to speak) and get braces before disaster strikes and we don't have dental insurance with my husband's job. Little did I realize what I was really signing myself up for. No, I don't want to have 4 teeth pulled. No, I am not interested in oral surgery to correct my horrific bite. Sure, it's ok I can't get invisalign or clear braces. Um, ok, I guess I'll be ok with rubber bands. Are you sure I need a bite plate glued to my face for 9 months affecting how I chew, speak and work with kids?? Sigh. Ok.
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