cosmetic or for dental health

[drazda]

My reason was purely cosmetic.

[JumpTheDitch]

Bit of both to be honest.

The top has worn off several of my lower front teeth from hitting the back of my top front teeth. I was never really comfortable with my overjet, though the overbite never bothered me. I have two little sticky-upy bumps on my lower lip from the gaps at the base of my upper laterals and cuspids where my top teeth rested on my lower lip. Clenching my jaw and facial muscles most of the time didn't really help, I ended up with an inverse-fang type effect!

[NuckingFuts]

It started off as cosmetic but it was because of my ignorance towards having a proper bite. I have always had a crossbite and never realized how having this would wear my teeth down. When I first went in for my consultation I told them only to straighten my teeth because I didn't care about my bite, now I realize it and they are trying to fix it without surgery.

[newbie82]

Mine was mainly health reasons, I have/had a bad overbite and my bottom teeth were/are quite crowded in the middle. So a bad bite must mean bad chewing which in turn means bad digestion. And surprisingly my crowded teeth hurt before I even got braces. They kind of ached all the time, just plain uncormfatable. I used to read often that by getting braces it shows you are looking after yourself, of course there will always be the cosmetic side to it, but who wouldn't want a big beautiful smile? - we need more smiley people in this world!

[cheerikimi]

Although my bit is slightly off, my primary choice for getting braces is for cosmetic reasons.

[susieq182]

Thanks every one for your responses. I have to agree with one of the posts that in some areas of the US and the world for that matter different parts of our apperance can hinder us from being successful. I wouldnt doubt that had I lived in a place like NY or Miami or such a metro area I would have had my teeth fixed sooner but I live in a small town in Wyoming FGS so my teeth were considered "pretty good". Just a note in some parts of the world you are considered ugly if you dont stretch your earlobes or wrap coils of brass around your neck to make it longer. Beauty, truth and contact lenses all lye in the eye of the beholder.

[starryadora]

Purely for dental health...my open bite causes me pain in my molars and I started getting tmj pain too. Plus, I started getting a lisp in my when saying a word with 's' in it...pretty freaky when friends start asking why you are talking funny if they haven't seen you in awhile! It also would be nice not to have to use my tongue to smush spaghetti into my top teeth to cut it when i am eating;)

[missingu]

Washington DC (and suburbs) aren't exactly immune from pressures relating to appearance, so I'm pretty used to an extreme focus on how a person looks, including their teeth.

For me it is a matter of choosing to work, live, and play with people who have found happiness outside of physical features. They do exist.

At least teeth can be fixed. Many people suffer discrimination over matters over which they have no control, namely skin color, which to me is a real shame yet is pervasive almost anywhere a person goes (in the US). There are other features that will subject a person to discrimination, but skin color has a really ugly history in the US that hasn't really gone away.

[blondie111]

Honestly, I did it purely for cosmetic reasons, although now I know I had bite issues too! Cross bite on one side, and impacted wisdom teeth all the way around have been pushing on the rest of my back teeth, which might explain my headaches! So, overall, I'm glad I'm doing it, even if it was for something so shallow.

But I sorta see what Sue in NJ is talking about. Even though I grew up and still live in Nebraska, I felt very much on the "outside" when I was younger, even when I was in high school. I would not laugh without my hand in front of my mouth, and would shy away from boys. My high school was known for rich, snobby kids, so you can imagine that the poor girl with crooked teeth was considered an outcast! But those days are gone, and I have managed to get a professional job, but even in interviews over the years, I felt that my smile would hinder me. And go figure, I'm in a job now where I don't have contact with the public! But I have met a wonderful man in the past year (when I had crooked teeth) and we plan on getting married soon, so it can happen!

But anyway you want to look at it, we are ALL doing this for US! And we should be proud of this, that we have the means and willingness to make a few sacrifices (chocolate covered peanuts) and do something positive for ourselves! If I had a drink in my hand right now, I would toast you all!

[butterfly]

I understand that this could be a touchy subject and I am not acussing anyone of being vain or shallow I was just curious to know what motivates my comrads in brackets.

I do it purely for cosmetic reasons with better dental hygiene and a more effective bite as a nice side effect. I don't see the need to justify myself for the decision to achieve a normal looking smile.

[New2Braces]

I just wanted a new smile
Even though I'm sooooo self-conscious when I smile at strangers, it doesn't stop me
I also thought it was about time I actually did something about my teeth

[cookie]

Mine was for purely cosmetic reasons - I wasn't super self conscious about my teeth, but I was aware that they weren't straight - all I wanted was a nice striaght smile.

Plus my bottom teeth were a bit tricky to keep clean because of the crowding.

[Aradia252]

My reasons were 100% cosmetic as well. Straight teeth are so much more attractive than crooked.

[LUV2SING]

I went to the ortho because I've always wanted straight teeth. Purely cosmetic on my end. Once I got there, he explained that I have 4 crossbites and I ended up with an expander. I feel I am improving my bite and not just my one wayward canine that has always bothered me. I see a lot of talk on the subject of appearance on this board. I have never hated my smile. I have never tried to hide my smile. I competed in pageants and was a local titleholder in the Miss America program. The judges definitely did not care that my teeth were crooked. I then auditioned for a singing job, I got a call back, and then nothing. My cousin, who is a former model, got the job over me. I can sing circles around her! She was questioning why I was not chosen for the job. They told her at first that I had no talent. She dug deeper and found out the sole reason I did not get the job was because of my teeth. You could have knocked me over with a feather!! I have never felt discriminated against until that moment. I was mainly insulted because they said I could not sing. I know it was shallow of them, but this singing job was for the "Bud Girl Band." Once I found out their image I was thankful I didn't get the job. I was not about to wear a sleazy costume and bounce around the stage.

[MATEO'S]

mine were cosmetic, i wanted to smile and show my teeth in pics and stop covering my mouth when i laugh. you know im a nurse and i remember there was this one nurse from agencey and who work there at the hospital that night and wanted to come and get a job there and they told me that they were'nt going to give her the job because of her teeth, she was missing some...but she was a good nurse. i felt really bad mateo's