I suffered through that particular rite of passage, too... and for no other reason than societal aesthetic requirements. It deforms not only one's flesh, but also their skeleton from its natural state, and yet I doubt you judge yourself as harshly for submitting to it. And just think... we paid for someone to torture us like that!
Also, they do make 3D-printed tooth alignment tray things that claim to do the same work as braces without the unholy alliance between medieval-era metal brackets and space-age adhesives... since I've already done my time, I haven't really bothered to find out if they're as good as they claim to be, though.
