Thanks everyone for such quick and helpful replies!

Seems the best plan is to make an appointment with a dentist, then go see an orthodontist to evaluate the various options. Then I'll contact my private health insurance to see what they will contribute. Looks like it'll be several grand, with hopefully a few grand back from the insurance. Hopefully, I can find someone with hicaps (so I don't have to pay the whole lot up front) and who'll let me space my gap the payments out!

The invisalign looks very interesting. I did some googling on this and also stumbled across ClearSmile which I think is pretty much the same thing. I'll be interested to find out how much more expensive this approach is and whether it would work for me.

Oh, and Bec... Good luck with getting some of your gum removed. That sounds very scary!!! I hope I don't have to face anything like that.

Thanks again everyone!!