When I was young (sometime toward the end of the last ice age) braces were the kiss of death. The only thing worse than wearing them to school would've been to have your grandmother give you a big slobbery kiss in front of all your friends. Amazing what a few years of creative marketing can accomplish. My daughter begged to wear braces. She shrieked with delight when told she would be getting them. She was up at 7 this morning (unheard of on a school day) and picked out her colors (blue with red in front) before we even stepped into the orthodontist's office. When we got home, she couldn't wait to show and tell all of her friends.