Braces Month 13: The Final Stretch & They’re Off

In the past year, a lot has happened…

For one thing, I no longer work at the finance company in Beverly Hills. I was laid off in December when the company began an initiative to downsize. I was thrilled to be free and focus on my beauty brand. Since then, I have traveled to Atlanta, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Detroit, and Baltimore to sell products at beauty expos and seek out vendors. I have had necessary time to focus on my life.

After about thirteen months of having my braces installed, I was under the impression they’d be off, but the doctor told me that there’s still six more weeks to go…

I was disappointed when he told the technician, “Make her jaw as wide as possible, let’s see what she can handle.” When I got home, I found the rubber bands to be unbearable. There were now four in my mouth, and I felt like they were moving my teeth to make my smile less attractive. I felt like my slender jaw was becoming wider – or something!

So, after about a week of that torture, I called to request an emergency appointment to see him and have the braces removed. I arrived thirty minutes late from Hollywood because his office was all the way in Santa Monica. He told me that the problems that I was experiencing had to do with inflammation and wasn’t permanent. He told me to stop wearing the rubber bands and give the treatment one more week.

I gave it one week, then requested to have the braces removed as soon as possible because I couldn’t take it anymore. I had it in my head that it would only be twelve months and my gums were starting to feel sore and painful. I felt self-conscious and unsexy. I was becoming uncomfortable with my wide smile. I remember that I cried very hard on my bed because of it!

But, by Monday my week turned around quickly.

I had a new entertainment full-time client in Beverly Hills for digital marketing services, as well as I had a promising date with someone that I met earlier that week.

On May 24, I woke up and took my dog for a nice walk in the Whitley Heights. I drove to work and worked for a single hour, then I drove to my orthodontist to have my braces removed.

I looked in the mirror and was stunned and excited to see how beautiful my new smile looked! My teeth were completely straight and white. My smile hadn’t widened at all, the braces were making me feeling insecure and self-critical and I didn’t need to at all. It was all worth it. I drove back to Hollywood and quickly changed into a black dress by Theory and only had time to put on a touch of makeup for my date downtown. But it didn’t matter because my teeth were beautiful!

I caught a Lyft to downtown LA where my date made a reservation. When I arrived, flustered and late, I smiled as the most handsome man I’d ever seen stood up from the couch where he’d been waiting…