Something i think is stupid

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YEAH, I didn't even mention the WAX used to cover the tips of the tiedown wires. That was one of the things that caused the younger dentist to laugh. The rubber rings obviated the need for the wax.

TODAY, as I understand it, they have forms that can just slip on! Before that, they had clear ones that glued on. Before that, I think they had regular ones that glued on. Before THAT were the ones *I* had! YOU KNOW, like they had on shows like the brady bunch, etc... THAT KIND!

Steve

Deal with it.

YAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!! !! !!

I hope you had a good supply of painkillers.

Insurance wouldn't pay for me to have braces, but I had a wealthy family who wanted me to have them anyhow. They wouldn't pay because it was for cosmetic reasons only. My teeth aren't very bad, and it causes no dental issues that they aren't perfect. Every time I saw a dentist I was harrassed about getting braces so badly sometimes I ended up in tears. I absolutely cannot stand the feeling of strange things in my mouth, it would have driven me nuts. I go mad when I get something stuck between my teeth. It took me weeks to get used to my new sealants (And I had trouble sleeping until I did) I don't think I would have lasted a week with braces. I remember in field hockey...my favourite part about playing goalie was that I had a helmet so I didn't need to wear a mouth guard. I hated when they put me on the field during the other game (I played swing, both varsity and JV) because I had to wear one of those stupid things.

I used clippers to take them off. It hurt a bit, but it was worth it.

I had braces and a ton of orthodontal work to boot. Yes Ihated it but it was defnitely worth it not not just for strraight teeth - even though that's great to have.

Having that work done prevented a lot of worse probems down the line, like problems resulting with a underbite and poorlly alligned teeth. But hey, if you don't think having your teeth fixed now to prevent worse problems when you get older, whatever. It's your life. Liveit as miseribly as you wish.

Besides, whining about "it's not fair - I'm autistic! I shuoldn't have to do that!" is such a BS excuse I don't even know where to begin.

It depends. When done purely for vanity, I don't think anyone should be forced to go through that BS, be they NT, autistic or anything else. If they want to make that choice for themselves later, or if they request it, well, it's still a waste, but they've the right to make that choice. It should never be forced on someone so they can "have a nice smile".

That said, there are instances where braces are necessary to either correct or prevent major dental problems. And if you have to go through all that pain anyways, well, might as well go all out and have things look nice when it's over(besides that, it's unlikely that any dentist worth dealing with is gonna let you half-ass it to only have it "good enough").

Course that's coming from someone who's never had braces.

I had braces for four years. It sucked. I had to have four teeth removed to get them. The process of get the braces on my bottom teeth was the worst. They went around the tooth so they were tried on, painfully inserted into my gums and then removed and glued on. Some of the glue which remains today.

Afterwards, my wisdom teeth came in and screwed my teeth up all over again. They aren't straight and I have a phobia now of dentists, and haven't been able to will myself to have my wisdom teeth removed.

I got braces when I was 25 because I was starting to wear all the bottom teeth down. I also had jaw surgery where they split the jaw and brought it forward because I had an overbite. I couldn't open my mouth for more than a straw to fit in for over three weeks. McDonald's thickshakes were a blessing.
I certainly do remember the pain of braces, especially the first week I had them on.

Those metal braces are really ugly, I think. Wouldn't decay get in under the braces? I suppose some people need braces and some crowded teeth removed, but from what I've seen, they don't take enough teeth out before they put in the braces, and I'd also be worried about teeth cracking.

I have slightly crooked teeth but not bad enough that I'd ever worry about getting braces. My little brother was supposed to wear some sort of device to straighten his teeth but he lost it so many times, mum and dad eventually gave up (which I think is what he wanted).

No way are my teeth like that, they are only a bit crocked on the front 2 in the bottom so it doesn't really matter

...not yet, anyway.

Calling getting braces (or excessively valuing straight gleaming white teeth) "stupid" (as in title of thread) seems inexact-I'd call it unnecessary suffering, being inflicted upon a person. Braces would've been a nightmare for me (I'm hypersensitive, tactile defensive, etc.)-though I think most folks (NT or ASD) consider dentistry to be unpleasant in general.
It's tough to evaluate whether a service provider is recommending procedure because client needs work done or because employee (doctor, dentist, mechanic, whomever) wants to make money. Can be stressful having to predict which things will worsen over time & would be better if dealt with now, and making a decision based on probabilities.
There are things I should have corrected/treated, but can't coerce self into suffering additional torment in the present in order to stave off/prevent future calamity. Terrified of the dentist (for many reasons), reluctant to endure & undergo anything I don't absolutely immediately have to.
Have overbite & (unreplaced) missing teeth, wish they were nice but oh well-don't appreciate those Halloween costume "joke teeth", they're not funny. My bad teeth don't mean I'm a witch, a "redneck", ignorant, dangerous, or anything else-just that I'm afraid of dentistry.

I had braces.

After they were removed: my teeth looked perfect, and I thought all the pain, trouble, and torment had been worth it; but over the next several years, they just went crooked again. (Plus I'm always biting the hell out of my lower lip, and inside of my mouth, whenever I eat. .)

I had braces, basically because my parents and dentist thought I should get them as I had an overbite. In the middle of the treatment, I had 2 teeth pulled because the orthodontist thought it was necessary. That was the worst part, especially as one broke during removal, making it more painful than it would have been. One thing that's annoying about the braces is that I had a susposedly permanent retainer wire glued to my bottom teeth, that eventually fell off, but the glue is still there. The next time I go to the dentist, I'm going to have to get that taken off. I'm glad the bottom retainer is gone because it was a pain to try to floss under the wire, which was glued to the back of my teeth. When I had braces, the only kind available was the metal kind, with the wires and retainer that made using that wax necessary.

In the end, it was worth it because I've gotten many compliments on my smile, and have had no problems. 2 years after getting the braces off, I had to get my wisdom teeth surgically removed because they would have screwed up my mouth after having those braces. Now, I'm glad I got that done as I know many people who have had infections or other problems caused by wisdom teeth that weren't removed as they came in.