After wearing braces for most of Jr. High, I could at least close my mouth again without an overbite like a horse. Unfortunately, this was short lived. My wisdom teeth started breaking out when I was about 20, and this resulted in most of the orthodontia being shoved all out of alignment. So in my mid-20's I had braces again for several years, but not until I got surgery to remove the wisdom teeth plus the back molars all around (not at the same time) so there would be room in my mouth for putting everything back in place. 30 years later, I woke up one morning and discovered that my entire jaw was out of alignment, causing the upper and lower teeth to not meet properly anymore, and since that time much of the straightness of my teeth has become a thing of the past again. But no way I am getting braces again now, I have had enough of them.
So yes, I wore braces as a working and dating adult and I can tell you these hints:
WaterPiks are good, you really can't live without one. You will not be able to brush your teeth the same way now and you can't floss. Never go to meet anybody after eating until you have checked your mouth in the mirror, you will be horrified at what will end up hanging there at the most embarrassing time. If I could designate the worst thing about having braces it would be that eating in general is not all that fun anymore. You will probably lose weight.
Do not schedule a date or important event the day your orthodontist does an adjustment. The pain will not go away for days, it is impossible to chew, talk, or have much of a good attitude until your teeth "settle down" again. Do not go anywhere cold at those times either, you do not want to know the pain of inhaling freezing air.
Keep lip gloss or Blistex hidden somewhere. You will tend to breathe through your mouth for a while and your lips will get dry and split.
Having braces will not affect your social life in any way. In fact, adult males getting braces is a status symbol. It is a great conversation starter. But be cautious of having any photos taken of you, especially with a flash. Braces never look good in a photo. I had the misfortune of being the bridesmaid in my sister's wedding during the time I had braces, and none of the photos look good.
Unless your partner has a tendency to put her tongue absolutely everywhere, the braces will have no effect on your enjoyment of kissing. People told me that they could not tell any difference. However, there is one thing you must definitely forget about for now and that is oral sex. Braces do not cut the people you kiss, but they definitely will snag in hairs. You really do not want to find that out the hard way. And it is a definite turn-off if you smile at somebody when you have little kinky hairs stuck in your braces
