It’s always been my lifelong dream to get braces. Strange, I know. Since I was a kid, I envied my classmates and their glistening, metal-covered teeth. Granted, they were also covered with remnants of their white-bread sandwiches from lunchtime. Yet they possessed an unmistakable “cool” factor — like a badge that represented adolescence. So, I often begged and pleaded with my parents for braces, but it was futile. They usually responded, “Kat, your smile is what makes you unique.” In other words: “Keep dreaming kid; we’re not spending $5,000 to put wires in your mouth.”
Fast-forward 20 years. I was a full-grown adult. It was time to make my adolescent dreams come true. Apparently, I wasn’t alone: according to a 2014 survey from the American Association of Orthodontists, adults make up nearly 1.5 million orthodontics patients in the US and Canada. So, right after my 30th birthday, I scheduled an appointment with an orthodontist. One consultation, a few awkward “before” photos, and thousands of dollars later, I was on my way to finally getting braces!
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