I just had orthodontic treatment at a decent local dental clinic. I went there because a friend recommended it.
I did about 1 year of orthodontic treatment for crooked canines starting in 7th grade, and that was it. The rest of my teeth were fine, and only one canine-side crooked tooth was a bit severe, so the treatment ended earlier than I expected.
I did not have any extractions. They just put in braces and attached retainers too. They said I had to keep wearing the removable retainer for at least 1 year.
At first I wore the retainer diligently, but later I stopped wearing it. Still, the retainer is really important. I did not wear it properly, and my teeth alignment shifted just a tiny bit. But it was only a slight shift that was not noticeable, and my teeth ended up nicely aligned, so I am very satisfied.
Changing wires and tightening them does hurt a bit, but I am pretty good at tolerating pain, so it was fine.
For anyone thinking about orthodontics because of crooked teeth, I recommend it.