I had braces for three years when I was 30. Another thing I couldn't live without, especially in the beginning, was Anbesol, the liquid used for teething pain in babies. It numbed the pain when the inside of my mouth was irritated. There was a bottle in my purse at all times.
It is worth it. My parents couldn't afford it when I was a kid, so that was my "turning 30 crisis" thing, instead of a sports car.