Why Braces Aren't Just for Kids Anymore

Up until recently, most people thought of braces as something that only children had to endure. Very few adults were ever seen sporting a metal mouth. However, in recent years, the number of adults getting braces has increased and it has become more socially accepted. Celebrities have even shown up on the red carpet flashing metal-encrusted smiles, making braces not only acceptable for adults, but almost trendy. In an episode of the popular TV series Sex and the City, a successful thirty-something New York lawyer decides that you're never to old to have the perfect smile (However, in this case, she eventually folds to the social embarrassment and has them taken off).

Many adults whose parents couldn't afford to pay for braces or who had braces as a child but still are unhappy with their smiles are heading to the orthodontist or cosmetic dentist later in life. Many Americans spend the majority of their twenties just surviving and trying to pay the bills. Spending money on such things as getting straighter teeth is considered frivolous and is put on the back burner until there is more money available. When these twenty-somethings reach their thirties or forties and have more financial stability, they are realizing that it is never too late to improve upon their appearance.

They say that your smile is the first thing that someone notices about you, so it's in your best interest to have a good one. I know from experience that having a crooked smile can have a devastating effect on your self-esteem and confidence in social situations. People tend to equate crooked smiles with hillbillies and criminals and it's hard to get the respect you deserve when people have these preconceived notions. Both men and women also commonly list bad teeth as one of their top physical turnoffs when it comes to the opposite sex.

I know that for me enduring the pain and possible embarrassment of wearing braces for a year or two would be well worth it if it meant a perfect smile for many years to come. As soon as I have the extra cash available I plan on getting braces. I'm sure I will have to relearn how to French kiss and will probably be constantly paranoid that I have food stuck in them, but it will be well worth it when I can proudly flash my pearly whites.