My roommate junior year of college had braces and the most incredible attitude towards them. Through her, I realized that a few years in braces would be far less painful than spending the rest of my life with crooked teeth. So, without hesitation, I began the process. 

There were television commercials for an Orthodontic Practice showing smiling adults with the slogan "Thank You For Making Me Smile" and details of their monthly payment plan- with NO DOWN PAYMENT! As a financially strapped college student, this commercial did it for me! I called & made an appointment. And as if I didn't hate my teeth enough, the mold and pictures taken at the consultation put me over the edge. I took much care since about the 6th grade to never reveal my overbite. These pictures showed it in all it's awful glory. To expedite the process as quickly as possible, I called my dentist & got in their pronto for 6 extractions (4 wisdom teeth & 2 incisors). 

I think the adrenaline from seeing the pictures at the consultation got me through this- my teeth were PULLED out- not removed by an oral surgeon. And yet, I felt no fear. Fast forward to the day the braces were to be put on. As I had no car on campus and the orthodontist was in a suburb away from the bus line, I had to ask my mother to drive me. I was a nervous wreck at the thought of having these braces put in my mouth--my mother was a wreck from driving over 200 miles through a February snowstorm to pick me up & drive me all the way to the Orthodontists. 

En route, we took major wrong turn- and went over an hour out of our way. My appointment time had come & gone and there I was with no braces and a mouth full of extraction holes! Worse yet, by the time I got to call the orthodontist's office, they said the soonest they could reschedule was over a month away! But, with my mom's power of persuasion (and threats!!!), she convinced the orthodontist to allow me to come in that day. We turned around & got there as soon as possible. They stayed open late just to see me, but some of the assistants were obviously a bit perturbed;-). My thoughts that day were less about the embarrassment of wearing the braces, but thankfulness that they were on. Just the thought of having to wait another whole month with these awful teeth was more than I could bear! 

All & all, people have been very supportive. My fiancé tells me he is barely aware of them. In college, most of my peers who did notice them only made comments that they wish they could afford them, too. Also, a couple old friends from high school have gotten, or are planning to get, braces- completely independent of my decision. One coworker at a former job got braces after becoming friends with me. The only 'negative' comments I received were prior to actually getting the braces. My sister told me I was too old for braces- however, now she knows many older adults who have them. My mother was convinced that my boyfriend would dump me- but, he has been nothing but supportive. I've done many things with the braces on- got engaged; graduated from college; started a new job; got accepted into graduate school; made many new friends; and took many vacations. 

I'll admit that I have the occasional freak-out moment where I only see the metal on my teeth & feel very unattractive, but, on a higher level I know that I did the right thing. My old roommate was right -- the ends justify the means! I still have my braces on, although the initial estimate was to get them off September of '04. I will get my braces off on June 20, 2005 at 12 noon (approximately 33 days and 18 hours from the moment I'm typing this-not like I'm counting;-). That will have been almost 3 1/2 years after that February day in 2002 when I took the plunge! 

The best part now is, since I wore them for so long, I feel as if I get to reinvent myself once they are off. I'm starting now with the goal of getting in the best shape of my life by June and even choosing a new hairstyle! I can't wait for June for my big reveal! I'll send a removal story once it's done!

Editor's note: Jillian, think about posting your before and after photos at the Metal Mouth Forum in "Our Braces Stories!" We'd all love to see them!