Issue One, March 2002

A Natalie McGregor Perspective

Two weeks ago, at twenty-four years of age, I had braces put on my teeth. The reasons for this are simple - my teeth are crap, and my parents couldn't really afford it when I was younger.
The consequences of this ?
I am in more debt than I have ever dreamed possible and even more embarrassed than ever to open my mouth. Am I regretting my decision ? No, not really. It's a vain, vain world we live in where beautiful smiles mean everything.
I just keep telling myself to think of the future, and how straight my teeth will look. What amazes me about getting braces as an adult is how little information there is. I know there are other adults out there who have been through what I am now experiencing. I see them every once in a while and think "wow, they did it". But how did they survive ? What does it mean for an adult to go through something usually relegated to the realm of children ?
I have been hounding everyone I know who had braces at some point in their lives for their experiences, only to be stuck with the answer: oh, it was so long ago... I don't really remember...
This does not help me.
Here are a few facts I have found out. It takes longer for adults teeth to move into place with braces than it does for a child, simply because their teeth have been in place longer. It hurts more for an adult than for a child (something I have found out from personal experience). And finally, it's a lot more embarrassing.
Which brings me to my next question: why is dental care not covered by Medicare? You might argue that it is more cosmetic surgery than normal surgery, but I had to get braces because my wisdom teeth had to be removed and my teeth would have started to move all over the place of their own accord. And for some reason, maybe because my teeth are in my mouth and not my stomach, I have to pay for the pleasure of surgery.
So not only do I get embarrassment and pain, I also get a kick in the mouth from the government.

(catboy would like to point out that the very tacky image is from a website and not representative of ms. mcgregor in any way)

Natalie would be interested in hearing the opinions of people who have had braces at any age, but would especially love to hear from those who may have had them later in life. You can contact her at [email protected]...