The next two weeks are an exciting time. Yay! I get my braces on my bottom teeth. Once this happens, it means I only have a year left with these bad boys surrounding my teeth. If I could jump for joy right now, I would. One more year and I will be free from the metal bars that surround my pearly whites.
To be free from these braces will be such a glorious feeling. Eating hard tacos, popcorn and hard candy again will be the most magnificent post-braces snack ever. To be able to not have to brush my teeth every time I eat will be so much more accommodating to my everyday eating habits (which can sometimes be 8-10 times a day). Being able to eat starbursts (especially the yellow ones, which are the only ones worth eating anyway) without the fear of breaking a wire will be so stress relieving. Speaking of the color yellow (which is my favorite color), it is found to be the happiest color. When most people see the color yellow, they associate it with happiness.
On the topic of yellow and because it’s my favorite color and because I associate it with happiness, I opted to get yellow bands on my braces. However, unbeknownst to myself, I walked out of the orthodontist and glanced into the rear-view mirror in the car and saw that yellow was a horrible color against teeth. Yellow may look good in the form of a t-shirt or rain boots, but on your teeth, it is utterly repellent.
Against teeth, yellow just looks yellow. And they make your teeth more yellow than what their natural color is. I learned that day that braces can get worse and that it’s definitely a learning experience. I also learned that the dental assistants are wise and know exactly what color complements your teeth, and that you should never be stubborn when it comes to advice. I learned at my next appointment (directly after the big yellow mistake) that my orthodontist has a famous saying: “If you don’t pick the wrong bands at least once, are you even human?” This resonated with me because I believe it’s true about life as well. If we don’t make mistakes at least once in our lives, are we even human?
