thinking about getting braces! help? i have questions!!?

i'm 17 and i really, really want braces. my dad is insisting i don't need them, but when my mom took me to an orthodontist, he said i needed upper and lower braces, plus a lip bumper, whatever that is? i've had ppl ask me about braces before - which really kills my self esteem. i have crowded teeth on the bottom, and a bit of a 'snaggletooth' (i think its the canine?) i'm pretty sure my dads dental insurance or w/e doesnt cover braces, so is there a certain price for braces? should i get the typical braces orrrr invisaline(sp?) which will work faster? also can you get certain colors? (like ur braces), in middle school my friend had glow in the dark ones. do colored/glow in the dark ones cost extra? also how painful are braces? i think i can tolerate quite a bit of pain but how long does getting braces take? (like when they getting put on you) sorry if i asked some stupid questions, i really know nothing about braces. a lot of people are telling me to not get them because they suck, but i would rather deal with a few years of pain and inconvenience than have a lifetime of crappy teeth. i really don't care about what i'd look like with them, either. :)
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Ok well if yr dads medical aid wont cover braces (they should) he can pay the braces off-every month you pay a bit and at the end of treatment they would be paid off. Invisilines are barely noticable-but they are expensive and treatment takes longer-I am afraid the easiest fastest way is the old fashioned metal train tracks. You can-if you want-get clear braces (I have them on) much less noticable, they are as effective as metal braces-they just cost a little bit more. You can get different colours... but thats very noticable-unless you dont mind. My braces are not painful at all. When I first got them it felt like a had a tooth-ache for a few days but that goes and trust me you forget they are there. It took an hour and a half for my braces to be put on and after 4 months every single toth is perfectly straight :) Get them-trust me as you get older you will regret not getting them because that was the exact situation I had-I hated my teeth and smiled with my mouth closed-so yah, I got them and I am releived to be getting this out the way. Oh and btw-check around before you settle with one ortho-some are very expensive because they are renowned-others are cheap to average and your teeth will have the exact same outcome at the end so you really dont need to go to a expensive ortho. goodluck! :)
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