braces revisited observation: “…maybe you should have done this sooner.” Duh!

How to tell this story? I’ll start, I guess, by the numbers (in no real order)

• 28 teeth.
• 0 pulled teeth. How they did it without pulling some is beyond me!
• 20 buttons on those 28 teeth to start the process. That was the worst part.
• 20 months original estimate to straighten those 28 teeth.
• 30 months to actually straighten those 28 teeth.
• 87 sets of invisalign retainers.
• 1 lost top brace. Not bad out of 87 sets! That was later in the process when you just stuff them in your pocket and not in their nice little case.
• $4-5 thousand dollars to straighten those 28 teeth. Not sure how much for sure. Insurance covered some and I payed monthly until I didn’t, but still keep going for more.
• ? visits to the orthodontist. I didn’t keep track of that.
• 1-How many times the Orthodontist said my treatment was completed. 1-How many times I said my treatment was completed. These were not the same times. He said my treatment was finished at about 24 months or so. I didn’t think so. At 30 months he was ready to get another set. I was done by then. This could have gone on forever:)
• 1 smiling mouth.

Or I could do it by pictures. I think this says it all.

My advice, if you are thinking of getting braces and you are older than 20-30-40-50-60, just do it. You will smile afterwards.