My braces are off

Unless you have had braces placed on your teeth as an adult (and a 50 year old adult at that) you won't quite understand the pain, frustration, and annoyance of braces.

However, I have paid my time (21 months) and they are OFF. It feels so good to smile again. It was a hard decision to get braces. Not only did we have to pay for them out of pocket, not only did it take up a lot of extra time (orthodontist appointments 45 minutes away, extra time flossing and caring for them), but they also really hurt, and I couldn't eat right.

Once my braces were off, I had to wear a clear retainer for 2 weeks, and that was not fun! I now just wear the retainer for 12 hours a day for 4 weeks, and then I'll wear them at night time for the rest of my life.

I am now on a bleach program. I have a week more to go. Hopefully my teeth will look even whiter in future pictures.
Here's some photos:

The first photo was taken on the day my braces came off. The second one was a few days after my braces were off, and the last one was taken a week ago at Pumpkinfest.