I had braces. I had horribly crooked teeth growing up. For whatever reasons, my parents refused to fix it - my problem they said, not theirs. So I had unslightly crooked teeth well into my 30's. I still have issues with them refusing to help me, but that is another thread.
As an adult, I always joked that I had teeth growing in places they were never meant to be. My fang teeth were way out of alignment, plus a multitude of other problems. My problems stemmed from a too-small-mouth, jaw, and palate. My jaw/chin are very weak, profile-wise. So when I finally decided to fix my teeth, my ortho and oral surgeon originally thought I may need surgery on my jaw, but fortunately I escaped that (good thing since I could never afford it anyways) and they did 8 extractions instead, then three and a half years of full metal braces with tons of chains, wires, and good old rubber bands.
Got my braces off in 2006 - it was the BEST THING I ever did. Hands down. My teeth look normal now. I can smile for the first time since I was eleven. Have a real chance at a career finally.
No one understands how limiting a poor smile can be in today's appearance-dominated society unless you been there.
Best of luck Op! Sounds like a long road, but well worth it in the end!!
