Eighteen months is a long stretch by anyone's math, and I'll admit I almost backed out around month three. I'm not really a jewelry guy, never wore a chain or a watch that cost more than fifty bucks, so when my dentist suggested diamond braces I kind of laughed it off. My brother talked me into at least asking about it.

Turns out it wasn't about the bling for me in the end. It was more that every time I opened my mouth for the next year and a half, I had something to actually look forward to instead of dreading the metal mouth look. The diamonds caught light in photos in a way that made even the awkward mid treatment months feel less awkward.

My teeth were pretty crowded going in, so eighteen months tracks with what my orthodontist predicted from day one. Nothing sped up or slowed down because of the brackets themselves, they work the same as standard ones apparently. What changed was how I carried myself during treatment. I stopped covering my mouth when I laughed around month ten or so. My confidence boost is the real story here, the smile is just what people notice first.