Eeeeeeergh. Braces are horrible. I got them a bit before I turned thirteen (great birthday present!), even though visually my teeth were straight. However, they were angled so when I was forty (or around that), I would be scraping away portions of my upper palate. Fun. After I got braces, I couldn't eat solids for a month. Whenever my jaws touched, pain shot through them. Slowly, I was able to eat normal food again. Instant Breakfast is disgusting if you drink it every day for a month. XD
When I got them off, however, the dentist accidentally cracked the enamel on a couple of my molars and a front incisor. It is common, he reassured me. They essentially crack them off the teeth with a sort of plier-like instrument. Thankfully, the cracks are shallow so they are not visible and they will probably wear off in a couple years. Either that, or get sealants for the front teeth is my theory.
Then came my retainer. Gosh, the lisp, the drooling, bleh. It wasn't fun having that, but at least my teeth were almost in their natural state. The feeling of smooth teeth after a year in braces is exquisite. Recently, I was given permission to only wear my retainer at night, which I enjoy. I can eat without removing it and getting odd stares.
Generally, my teeth are rather clean. My stint with braces has made me even more obsessive with dental hygiene, flossing, tongue scraping, and brushing with an
electric toothbrush thrice a day. I have never had a cavity in my entire life, but I have a filling. I had a pit in one of my molars that was just there. It had to be drilled and filled in order to reduce the risk of bacteria colonies. Thankfully, it was small enough that the drilling was only for about thirty seconds.
And that's my tooth situation!
Edit: Forgot about the gum situation! I have gotten my gums recontoured with a laser to reduce the risk of gingivitis, as I had a lot of gum tissue. It was uber fun, and even with the medicine they gave me, it still hurt.
However, something funny arose from this. To calm me down, the dentist told me to get a tiny prescription for Valium, literally half of a normal dose. I couldn't walk straight on the way into the office, having to be led in.