Braces Envy

[plugnickel69]

Do you have braces and others have said they envy you, that they've wanted braces for a long time, but don't have the courage or cannot afford braces?

Do you wish you could take the steps to get braces and envy adults wearing braces?

It would be interesting if you shared your story here. It might help those who are on the fence about getting braces or have them and feel insecure.

[Kezza]

I have never had anyone actually say they are jealous but I can tell by their interest and one or two telling me what they dislike about their own teeth that they wish they were brave enough or had the money to do something about it.

[giraffington]

When I was younger, I envied other kids who had braces because I wanted them for my own crooked teeth and my family couldn't afford it. Now I have had braces for three weeks after saving for them on my own with my new full time job. My sister told me she is jealous of me because her teeth are similar to mine and she still cannot afford them. Unfortunately I don't have the kind of money to pay for two full sets of braces. I haven't had any random strangers or co-workers or friends tell me they were envious of me. I've found that most of them either already had straight teeth or got braces as kids. I have gotten a lot of support from everybody about my decision.

[SunshineRay]

Hmm where did this topic come from?

Like I said before, one friend did say if she could afford it she would but they are saving for her daughter to get braces now.

[plugnickel69]

[asag]

Yes. A coworker just told me he's jealous and wish he had the courage to get them. I really wish I'd done it sooner.

And when I was a kid/teenager, I was jealous of others who had them because my teeth were crooked and we couldn't afford them. It feels good to finally have them. I feel lucky.

[JeniK]

I have to chime in here.....I have to say I felt the same way when I was younger. I would see people or friends in braces. I wished I was going to have a nice smile. I think that is why I am so excited that I am finally getting braces!

[chichi]

I definitely had braces envy as a kid/teenager. My parents would have been able to afford it, but they never felt that I needed them. My sister and I used to beg for them, but we never even got close to convincing our parents. Fast forward to today - I'm 27 and just got them on. When my father saw them, he said he might consider going to get his teeth fixed now too.

[Kurisu]

I enved all my friends who had them as a kid... BUT most of them didn't wear their retainers, so their teeth are by as perfect as they once were. I know a girl whose teeth have slightly relapsed (her teeth look straight, but her midline is now off and bottom arch slightly crowded again). She also needs two major root canals and other dental work, so it is clear she did not take care of her teeth despite it being so much easier to clean straight teeth... :/ we are also young (mid 20's).
The rest of the friends who didn't wear their retainer and are envious because they want super straight teeth again, but don't want to go under a second round of braces.

Now that I have braces, I know a few people that tell me they want to get them now! Most want invisalign, others interested in ceramic. Looks like no one I personally know wants the full metals ones. They are still trying to save for it (I paid in cash, full upfront).

[rhibee83]

One girl at work has said a few times to me that she is jealous and really wants to get braces. I always take it as she is just lying cos she is like the popular girl you have at high school who is basically perfect and her teeth aren't that bad. Maybe she is jealous but I dont think she is, its kinda condescending and I wonder if she is being honest!

who knows! lol

[KLM1996]

I don't think anyone was jealous of me getting braces, but I definitely feel privileged to get them :)

[plugnickel69]

One girl at work has said a few times to me that she is jealous and really wants to get braces. I always take it as she is just lying cos she is like the popular girl you have at high school who is basically perfect and her teeth aren't that bad. Maybe she is jealous but I dont think she is, its kinda condescending and I wonder if she is being honest!

who knows! lol

What we see in ourselves and think about ourselves is very different from what others see and think. Those popular cheerleader types are sometimes very insecure people, that's why they go so far out of their way to remain popular. You say "her teeth aren't that bad," but she may be seeing her every little flaw in her own magnifying mirror. Some people want braces to fix some minor flaws but their teeth actually aren't bad enough to warrant the expense and discomfort, and some people's teeth don't look too bad to the untrained eye, but the bite may be a big mess. I say give the girl at work some credit for being truthful and honest with you. It should make you feel better too.

[Winkos]

One person I know said he was going to look into getting braces because he always wanted to straighten his teeth. Another person went on, and on, and on, and on, about how she never needed braces, and how ridiculous it was for me to get them. I just considered the source on that one.

[AdultGettingBraces]

I have had a few people say how they wish they could get braces after finding out I have got them. Usually people who don't have major problems, but a crooked tooth or two, you know not perfect but not extreme cases. People you don't automatically think need braces. Possibly because my teeth are pretty bad, I just assumed that most people are happy with just regular, but not 100% aligned teeth. But financially or time, or whatever reason its not a priority for them.

I guess the main one is people who say they now wish they had them when they were younger but now aren't motivated to do something.

[plugnickel69]

I often meet with one, two or three adults at a time, and sometimes large groups, who may range in age from their twenties to their sixties. I always notice their teeth, and it's not unusual to see someone with a large gap, people who obviously had braces previously but now have overcrowding on the bottom that often comes with age, and other orthodontic problems. As I'm in a professional situation the topic of braces never comes up. However, I often wonder what they are thinking working with a sixty-something with braces while they have obvious orthodontic needs that they are not addressing. Braces envy?