Fourteen months felt like a long time when I started. I was self-conscious about my teeth for years before that, the kind of self-conscious where you talk with your hand near your mouth without even realizing you're doing it. My orthodontist walked me through a few options and when she brought up diamond braces I honestly thought it was some upsell thing at first.

It wasn't. Once I saw a photo of what they actually looked like on someone else's teeth, I was sold. Getting them put on felt normal, same as any brace appointment, tightening every few weeks, the occasional sore day after an adjustment. Nothing about the process was different except every time I looked in the mirror I saw something I actually liked looking at.

There were rough weeks in the middle, month seven or eight maybe, where progress felt slow and I wondered if it was worth it. Looking back now I'm glad I stuck with it. IceWire changed the way I see myself, not just my teeth honestly, my whole face looks different when I smile now. I catch my reflection in windows sometimes and do a double take. Never thought I would say that about my own teeth.