If you're one of the poor souls out there who wasn't lucky enough to escape the torture of wearing braces, you're not alone. The idea of braces was a little exciting at first, but once your mouth was full of metal, it was all downhill. Here are 12 annoying and painful struggles you'll recall if you ever endured the not-so-glamorous braces life.

1. You were told you would only have them for 18 months.

It didn't sound too bad, until months turned into years and you ended up having them on for a grand total of six years!

2. Getting them tightened was the worst.

Hearing the words "braces tightened" gives you chills to this day.

3. Deciding on what color (or colors) to get was way too stressful.

Once you made your choice, there was no going back (until your next appointment). Those hot pink and neon green "watermelon colors" would be in your mouth for a good chunk of your young life.

4. If you had to wear rubber bands, your list of struggles was twice as long as the average braces wearer.

You got the most disgusted looks from friends and family when you took them out before meals. Not to mention, they snapped in your mouth every now and then. Some nights, you laid awake wondering if you were going to swallow one and die.

5. After you first got them on, your mouth was not only sore from the braces, but from opening your mouth to show people.

What's so interesting about the metal in my mouth again? Let me have some peace, please. This is torture enough.

6. Eating without getting food stuck in them was nearly impossible.

Eating in public sparked high levels of anxiety. You had your friends slyly give you a signal if there was a food situation that needed taking care of.

7. Despite the odds, you put up a good fight to avoid food covered braces.

You broke up larger foods, like bagels and cookies, and it's become a habit ever since.

8. You were told you couldn't eat hard candy or chew gum anymore.

But you did it anyway and lied to the orthodontist about how often you broke the rules. Braces, not even school rules, could never stop you from freely chewing gum.

9. Smiling with your mouth open suddenly became a dreadful act.

Thus, smiling with your mouth closed became your new go-to expression. It felt weird...and looked exactly how it felt.

10. Breaking a bracket meant you were going to be interrogated and lectured by your orthodontist.

No, you weren't chewing on ice...it must've just popped off in your sleep or something!

11. You carried wax with you in case a wire decided to pop out and tear apart the inside of your mouth.

This wax saved your life more than once, and for that, you are grateful.

12. When you finally got them off, your teeth felt slimy and naked.

But you loved the feeling, because you were free from the burdens of braces forever! Now you just have to deal with your retainer.