Dang right I'm jealous (but still sorta happy)

[swiftchick]

I'm supposed to get my braces off in one month. I've had them for a year and 8 months so far. Not bad, right? Ordinarily i'd be insanely happy. But my best friend, who's had hers for 8 months, is going to get hers off next month, too. Tell me the fairness in that!!! She might even get them off before I do. I'm jealous.

And yes in case this sounds whiny, i'm a teenager.

I was talking to the friend's younger sister, and she was like, "ha, she [her sister] might get her braces off before you do! ha!" and then i thought : why can't we all just be happy for each other? The friend's sister said, "we have to compete!" But really, when you think about it, I can't do anything about it to speed things up. I can't compete with my friend to see who can get their braces off first. We both seem to have four weeks to go.

And it's not like my teeth were a lot worse than hers when she started treatment. We had almost the exact same case, with fang teeth and lower crowding and overbites. My friend has never even had to have elastics (i have)

How is that even possible? It's so unfair. although, to quote "sky high":

Layla: "this is so unfair"
Will: "if life were suddenly to get fair, I don't think it would happen in high school."

[weird_wired]

Well, I can see how it's frustrating, but imagine how much worse you could have both have had it: many people here get YEARS of surgery, treatment and even complications.

Also you can never truly "compete" over a medical issue.

If you feel really badly, maybe you could try to reschedule your braces-off appointment to one day before hers? Then at least you kind of "won"

[Evelyn]

Layla: "this is so unfair"
Will: "if life were suddenly to get fair, I don't think it would happen in high school."

Hehe I love that it's so true! High school is anything but fair I get annoyed with it too it seems like everyone competes for attention, why can't we all just be happy for eachother when something nice happens? Agh I guess that's high school for you though, the wonderful...world....of...high....school. My favorite is when people say it's the best four years of your life-so the best four years of your life are when everybody's most insecure about themselves and still trying to figure out who they really are. I'm waiting for college when the real fun begins

Anyway if it makes you feel any better you beat me! By, by, holy crap by at least 21 months! I hear you when you said that it's annoying that a person who had theirs on for 8 months is getting them off before you do-that's really frustrating. Hehe I know that first hand-on January 9th I hit 40 months with braces, I got them on September 9 2002. Yes, 2002...everybody, and I mean everybody seems to be getting them off before me. People who got them on in 2004 and even 2005 are getting them off now, lightyears before I even have a debanding date. But that's when you have to step back and realize how incredibly lucky you are in so many other aspects. I mean, if you think about all the things that could go wrong in your body and then you think about everything that goes right it's just amazing and really puts things in perspective. As someone pointed out earlier, I can only speak for myself when I say this, but I think we're all truly lucky in many other aspects. I have good sight, even if I do have contacts, I can hear, I have two legs and two arms that work perfectly, I'm a normal height and don't have to worry about when I get my next meal I could go on forever but all of us are pretty darn lucky in so many ways.

If people can put up with not being able to see or living in a wheelchair for their whole lives, I think I can put up with having braces for four years. I hear you though, I really do especially since I'm in high school as well and I know how awfully competitive things can get. In the end, just concentrate on yourself and how beautiful your smile is going to look.

xoxo Eve

[hannah164]

I can definitely relate to this post!

I too am in high school and I am kind of getting annoyed with having braces! I have a good friend who got braces around the same time as me and she got hers off in November. That was 1 year and 7 months after she got them on and it took me that long just to get bottom braces!

Most people are defnitely going to get their braces off before me at this rate! And a year and eight months is an incredibly short amount of time! You're going to beat me since I'm going to have braces for a good 4 years!

What Evelyn said is incredibly true! WE honestly should be very grateful for every part of body that does work! Even though I may have sever chronic migraine headaches it defnitely could be worse!

Just remember that every person is different and no matter how much longer you have braces you will still have an amazing smile in the end!

-Hannah




Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05

[swiftchick]

Aw, you guys are so nice and encouraging. thanks!

[samantha_lou]

Chick, honey, I know its frustrating when you're a teenager to be stuck in braces, but seriously - keep them on as long as possible!! I know that in high school it can be competative, and seeing others getting their braces off and you're still banded...the thing is, you've come so far now...you're setting up your smile for life! I was in a hurry to get out of braces as a teenager, I didn't want to be bothered with them, and all my friends were getting theirs off...I'm now 25, and about to go through it all again because I didn't take enough time & I had an ortho at the time that didn't push me to keep wearing them (can we say "difficult patient"? oh, I was a brat! hehe!!).

I think the more time you spend with them now, getting your teeth really settled into their new allignment, the less chance that you'll end up having a relapse...and love thy retainer!! I know I didn't wear that for long enough! Talk it through with your ortho, make sure you're set for the foreseeable future..although I think ortho treatment has come a long way in the 15 years since I first started out with my first orthodontist!

[johnnys_angel]

I, too, am in high school. Yuck.
Since you had the same case, it sounds like maybe your orthodontist is doing a better job (which is always a good thing for you)! I am so happy for you that you are getting your braces off in a month!!