It's been a long time coming.

When I was about 10, I wanted braces because my best friend had them. Unfortunately my dad lost his insurance coverage that year and my teeth became more and more crowded as the years went by. At 17, I was offered braces but turned them down as 'I just wanted people to accept me as I am'. I'm 29 now and kicking myself for not starting treatment earlier and being the indignant child I used to be.

Anyhow, one of the reasons why I had put off getting braces for so long is because of a multitude of dental issues that I was avoiding dealing with. After much prodding from my then (super straight and healthy toothed) boyfriend, I finally got around to dealing with them over the past year. Since then I've dealt with most of my gum and dental hygiene issues, had 4 wisdom teeth removed (two were impacted), consulted with a number of dentists and orthos, and just last week started my first invisalign tray.

It's been a long time coming but I'm really glad I finally got around to it. With an upcoming wedding (to aforementioned bf) next summer and (fingers crossed) move into a more senior position at work, I'm looking forward to having a better smile.

Some pictures of my fairly crowded teeth below.