Braces. A word that by just one mention sends chills down the spines of those veterans who have suffered with them for years. A promise of dental perfection for the price of one, to a record of twenty years straight, of a mouth made of metal.

Before their application by the orthodontist, braces seem like something of a miracle, and a much-anticipated step toward orthodontic improvement. Yet, it seems that the longer they’re with you, the faster your resentment toward them grows. “They make your teeth look really nice,” said sophomore DeAndre Brown. “But as far as the pain, you have to go through that and the hassles and limits on what you can eat. I just cannot wait to get them off.”

For years, adolescents are forced to endure a sizeable amount of time deprived of some of our favorite gooey treats. Things like gum, caramel and popcorn are swiftly exiled from their diets and deemed untouchable for the duration of time that there are forced to wear the brackets and wires.

In addition to this, braces often require rubber-bands to be stretched across the front of the mouth, “Whenever I got bands they matched my outfit every single day,” says sophomore Kaheya Nash.

Nash said that at the height of her rubber band use she could have as many as six rubber bands in her mouth.

After having them on for so long, having your orthodontist tell you your sentence has come to an end is comparable to winning the lottery.

Getting braces off has become a momentous and life-altering event looked forward to for those who have worn them. After a long and tiring duration in their company, a life without braces seems like nothing less than a fairy tale. “When I first got them off it was such a good day,” said freshman Olivia Chewning, “It was really fun coming back to school because everyone was super excited for me.”

Despite their troubles and triumphs, I think we can all agree that braces have always been a blessing in disguise. For without them, how could we ever be ready to brace the outside world? They are a rite of passage and when they are finally cast aside, their result has all of us grinning from ear to ear.