Recently, I have gotten braces, and they are not exactly what I expected them to be. I reached out to a few others I know who have braces as an adult, and not in their middle school years.
Here are some of the things they had to say...
You always look younger than what you actually are.
GiphyThis is a general consensus among almost everyone I talked to. Arguably this can be considered a good thing, to still look "youthful". However, one person mentioned it is awkward trying to go to a bar, and the waitress doubting your ID.
Finances are why we didn't get braces until we were adults.
GiphyA lot of our family's could not afford braces for us, or had insurance that did not cover any portion of the cost.
"I couldn't smile before, I was embarrassed with how my teeth looked." - Anon.
One person I talked to was thankful to have braces, even if they are an adult. They are so thankful to get the problem fixed.
"You stopped smiling in pictures the way you used to without them..." - Lyndsey.
GiphyThe opposite is also true, some people feel ashamed to wear braces as an adult. To quote Lyndsey again, "we are surrounded by the stereotypical 'Instagram culture'." Everything can be about how you look, and for some people, braces destroy their self-image.
Other people: "Why didn't you just do Invisalign?"
GiphyWhat's the big deal with having braces? A lot of people have asked me why I didn't just do Invisalign. It gets annoying.
Here are some reasons why people don't do Invisalign...
Some insurances only help cover part of the braces expense, and none of the Invisalign. Some orthodontists are not specialized in Invisalign, and lastly, depending on what troubles you are experiencing, Invisalign will not be able to help you.
People think you are towards the end of the process, when in actuality you are just beginning.
For those who had braces applied shortly after graduating high school, this part is annoying.
New people you meet think you had them throughout high school and it should be "any day now" when you can get them off. No, the process has just begun.
Other people: "I had those in middle school, I get your pain!"
GiphyDo you really get my pain though?
I love something Lyndsey said when I was asking her about her experiences. "No one's story is worse or better than anyone else's."
This is true with ALL struggles in life!
Interviews, professional work place, etc.
GiphyPreparing to be interviewed is daunting already, now I have these braces to work with.
While interviewers should not be judging whether someone is wearing braces or not, it just adds to the stress.
Did I pick out a good outfit for this interview? Do I LOOK like a professional? Will I be silently judged for. *thing 1*, *thing 2*, *thing 3*, *thing 4*, and now these braces?
Ugh.
Bullying.
GiphyThe one thing I recognize that we do not experience the same, kids vs. adults getting braces, is the bullying.
Adults, for the most part, think it is cool that you have the chance to fix your teeth when you weren't able to before. I know kids would get taunted for having braces in elementary and middle school.
