Loved that place since I was 5! So worth the 2-3 mile walk :)

You do have nice teeth, Brennan. Braces?

Yes, though you should know they did more to ruin my teeth than just about anything else.

Is there a teeth alignment problem that doesn't show up when you smile? What happened?

It seems in the U.S. everyone gets braces, whether they really need them or not...a waste of lots of money and they hurt! I got braces and didn't really question it when I was 16. I had a gap between my front teeth. The orthodontist wanted to get rid of it. I'm sure I could have eaten just fine with a gap. And maybe it would have closed on its own over time.

Braces seem to get rid of personality, which I find a little sad. I didn't realize they can also make teeth problems worse!

Depends on the medical treatment. The Ortho I had left the cement on when he took them off, and because of his lackluster care over the 2 to 4 years, I had 12 cavities when they were removed.

I found a new dentist since then but the damage has been rough. 3 root canals, 2 extractions. Thankfully I'm on the comeback trail.

Pshh... screw personality.. I wish I had been able to get braces as a kid. My teeth are so messed up now, I have teeth behind teeth. And it's very difficult to even break a tomato slice in half with my front teeth as they don't touch. Eating is generally difficult because I have to do most of it on the side of my mouth.

Aesthetically, people don't notice because most of it is limited to the bottom teeth and they don't show all that much, but it's more of a functional thing.

They didn't fix that in the service?

I tried to get it done, but they said I had to be in garrison for at least 2 years to get it done, but unfortunately I was getting deployed every other year so it didn't work out. They said I was a great candidate (they don't do cosmetic orthodontic work, it has to be necessary) but there was nothing I could do.

Yikes! I'm sorry about that.

I remember using that fluffy floss and stringing it between each tooth around the braces...ugh! It took so much time. I bet braces often do lead to people having more cavities, because braces make cleaning the teeth harder! Your orthodontist sounds awful, especially if he left the cement on.

Oh I agree...if the teeth are in positions that makes eating hard, then braces make complete sense!

I meant when people have their teeth come in just a bit crooked...nothing major...and then they get braces to make them completely straight. I wish people didn't feel they had to make their teeth perfectly straight. But when the teeth position actually creates a bite problem, like in your case, braces would definitely be good.

When you bite a tomato, do you adjust your jaw so that you can cleave it? Or do you just kind of tear it, like a lion might do (if a lion ate tomatoes)?

Open bite and under bite, bro. I can't eat steak sandwiches with my ****ed up teeth... I have to cut that **** up.