I’m a case of extraction orthodontics because my malocclusion was very severe and there wasn’t enough gum space for the number of teeth I had. My fang teeth were also severe, and my mouth protruded forward.
The braces treatment took about 3 years in total. When I first started, I was told it would take at least about 2 years, but it ended up taking longer than that.
During the first few months of treatment, there was a lot of tooth movement and, accordingly, a lot of pain. Especially for the first week after getting the braces on, even the slightest contact between teeth was extremely painful, and it was really hard... After that, maybe I got used to it, but I almost never had pain bad enough to say, “I’m dying from this.”
To tell you the result only, my teeth are now really straight and my bite fits well. Comparing the before-and-after photos is truly amazing.
But the downsides can’t be ignored.. First of all, a lot of black triangles formed, so the biggest drawback is that I especially have to pay attention to gum care. It’s not just an aesthetic issue; food also gets stuck easily, and I’ve heard that once gums recede they don’t grow back, so I worry that it might get worse as I get older. But gum issues vary from person to person, so maybe I was just very unlucky...ㅎㅎ
Another minor downside(?) is that I’ll have to pay attention to retainers for the rest of my life.
I’m naturally easygoing and I was someone who needed orthodontic treatment, so I have no regrets, but for others, I’d cautiously not recommend braces if the reason is only aesthetic ㅎㅎ Our teeth and gums are really precious.....