I got braces when I was 18 – my teeth were crooked and there was a problem with my jaw and I was supposed to get a very extensive and probably painful operation. So I had braces for about a year in preparation for the operation (my teeth had to be in a specific position) and let me tell you: I ate a lot of baby food in that time because my teeth and jaw hurt so much that I couldn’t chew. When the time came around for the operation my orthodontist said that there was a 50 % chance that my jaw would shift to its original position after the operation – as if it hadn’t been operated at all! My only thought was: F* that! I went through all this pain for maybe nothing? No friggin way!
So I called the operation off and my orthodontist managed to move my teeth (using braces) so that they were more or less straight, but warned me that my upper jaw is too small (in comparison to my lower jaw) and that my teeth could gradually shift back. To be honest, I did not care! The day the braces came off was one of the happiest in my life, even though that was painful for me, too.

All in all I would probably not do this again (because of the pain I had), but I’m still glad that my teeth are more or less straight. :o)