*This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events I experienced firsthand; used with permission.
You're never too old to improve yourself. You're never too old to improve your dental health, and you're certainly never too old to get braces unless your orthodontist says so. Even then, you're entitled to a second opinion.
People often compliment my teeth. I'm not sure why.
My top teeth are reasonably straight, but they are off-center like Tom Cruise's top teeth. My bottom teeth are constantly shifting. They remind me of gravestones in an old churchyard, no two leaning in the same direction.
My teeth are relatively white. I don't drink coffee. I don't drink red wine. I brush them often.
I think I manage to confuse some people with my relatively straight top teeth and relatively hidden bottom teeth. If they got a closer look at my teeth, I don't think they'd be as likely to compliment me on them.
My ex-boyfriend was definitely an exception. He did not compliment my teeth at all.
He had braces in his teens; I was not in my teens, but I wanted braces, too.
"You're too old to bother now," my boyfriend told me. "You might as well die with crooked teeth."
At the time, dying with or without crooked teeth was the furthest thing from my mind, and furthermore, I thought he was incredibly rude for mentioning it. His basic thought process was this: If I hadn't bothered to get braces in my teens, then there was no need to get braces now when I was presumably so much closer to knocking on heaven's door.
As far as I can tell, I have plenty of time left to enjoy having straight shiny white teeth. Sure anything could happen, and the world could end tomorrow, but overall, I think I have an excellent chance of living long enough to get braces or regret not getting them.
My boyfriend did not agree. He insisted that my lot in life was to die with crooked teeth, and that was okay because it would save me money.
I still have crooked teeth, and I still plan on getting braces even if I haven't gotten around to it, yet, but I will. There's no way I plan to let him win even if I haven't seen him in years. I'm dying with straight teeth or dying while trying.
And if he hasn't been wearing his retainer at night, he just might have more crooked teeth than mine.
What would you do? Would you get braces as an adult or was my ex-boyfriend right that I shouldn't "bother" now if I didn't want braces as a teen? Comments are welcome.
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