Ouch. So I at the ripe old age of 33, I got braces.

I begged my mother for braces when I was younger. But as a mostly single mother, she couldn't afford it. So I resigned myself to the snaggletoothed grin I grew up with. I convinced myself that nobody really noticed. I finally started smiling on purpose when I turned 25 or so. But I've never really liked my smile. The big gap in the middle still makes me self-conscious.

I also didn't want to go through the ordeal of surgery to correct my bite. I have a very "strong jaw," and my teeth won't meet properly without jawbreaking and much pain. Uh-uh.

So my current dentist wrote up a treatment plan sans surgery that will correct my gaps and align my teeth. I got them Wednesday, and I'm still negotiating the eating thing. I have 18-24 months of this. Then, a new smile.