Any of you teased about your teeth when you were younger??

[Gennel]

I'm new to this forum and have'nt really seen any threads about teasing or severe teasing. Sometimes severe teasing from the age of 6-15 has made me the person I am today. So I'm wondering how many people here survived the teasing or bullying. Speaking from personal experience kids in elementary school are the most cruel. I can still remember a kid in elementary school tell me " You like the a car crash happened in your mouth!" I was in the classroom with all the other kids and my teacher. I remember I turned bright red. I wanted to run out of the classroom so bad. And then recently we going to a house and there were several people there and for some reason I kept looking at everyone's teeth as they walked up to me. Everyone there had that "celebrity smile" super straight teeth and something just clicked in my head. " You have to do something,dont put this off any longer"
Anyone else go through this???



Gennel

[Leslie022]

I didn't have severe teasing but there was a mean kid from time to time. For the most part, my personality took the spotlight rather than my teeth. It has always been a self-esteem issue for me though. I used to hate having to do presentations in front of the class --- I always thought everyone was staring at my teeth.

[lionfish]

I was never subjected to teasing as a kid.

The only teasing - if you can call it that - came when I was well into my 40's, from someone who referred to my teeth as being "higgledy piggledy."

It came from someone with less than half a brain.

[Jesslzz]

Hey, Gennel, welcome to the forum!

Of course I've been teased by everybody about my teeth, from my family and my pears at school. My overjet and really big front teeth were so noticeable, that my parents usually told to the people that stared at my mouth that my teeth were big for my face and they would look perfect when I grew up. They didn't, of course.

The teasing is part of our lives, it is something that causes you a lot of pain but you can use it too. You have to fight it with your mind and put a lot of that energy in correcting all the problems for yourself, not for avoid the teasing. I used to feel so embarrassed, I certainly know what is like to feel your face in fire, but I'm still learning how to fight it back, and I'm feeling a lot better.

You might get teased for wearing braces too! But remember why are you doing this, smile everytime you look at the mirror and forget about teasing! We are here for you and we understand you

Good luck!!

[drazda]

I wasn't subject to much teasing from school mates, but it happened rarely. Most of the rude comments came from my own family.

[butterfly]

Yes definitely. School was pure horror for me although I was a good student (sometimes I think I was a good student BECAUSE of the teasing). I was teased for several reasons. My parents kept telling me that I have to "live with it" which was a mistake. No kid should be teased for any reason that can be avoided (like bad teeth). At the end it made me the person I am. Eventually it makes you stronger and you grow out of it. Now I care a lot more about myself. I feel good now and I am proud about improving myself.

[hollywood_smile]

i remember i used to be teaser well not a teaser but if i didnt like the person i used to point their defects... and that is horrible and you know, what goes around comes around....and grew up and realized my teeth werent perfect so i started to obssess with my teeth, my bro started to tease me the whole day! saying things like......have you got double citizenship? and i was like... what? why? and he was like....because you are from here, and your teeth from outside....its a really mean comment, though kinda funny... ok i have to laugh, rather than depress coz such a stupid comment and sounds funnier in spanish, anyways. he got his teeth fixed like about 2 years or more, but he didnt wear his retainers, so i guess his teeth looks ugly like they used too, he is the only one in the family who had crooked teeth, anyways he is right now in canada and i havent seen him in about a year but hell come back in november, by then i hope i will be in braces, so i will tease him A LOT!! again, what goes around comes around hahaa........

[butterfly]

hollywood_smile wrote:

• he is the only one in the family who had crooked teeth, anyways he is right now in canada and i havent seen him in about a year.

Maybe he will be in braces as well when he comes back and you will stop teasing each other

[Gennel]

The teasing stopped for me years ago. I do agree that teasing kids for any defects is wrong and I as a parent do NOT tolerate it. My youngest daughter has a gorgeously cute bright smile. She didnt get teasted about her teeth of course but she got teased all the time because she has a connecting brow. They call her Unibrow or make hand gestures and connect two fingers on their foreheads. My daughter felt like such an ugly duckling over this. I was just shocked over this. I figured she's not chubby,she has beautiful teeth,everyone always comments how adorable she is . I just let her know that it is not right what these kids are doing but kids always find something to tease you about. It could be your clothes,the car your parents drive,your weight,teeth,hair or even freaking nails ! lol She talked to her teacher about it and now her teacher is aware of those teasing kids. Kids are naturally curious so my kids have freaked out if they see someone with a big dissability. I started teaching them when they were verysmall and explained that everyone in this world is different and some people have deformaties and illnesses that is NOT their fault and these people have feelings,personalities and dreams just like we do. I was very proud because this was one lesson that my kids actually learned!
One of the main reasons that I am finally just going ahead with this is for my kids and for myself. I don't want my esteem issue to be something they learn from me. I am freeing myself and I started that when I walked into the orthodontist door ,extended my hand to him and told him "I have an appt with you today, I am very interested in getting braces and I had a very negative experience with dentists before. It was like saying " Hi my name is John and I'm an alcoholic"
I just mean it was a freeing experience to finally go through with it.
Lastnight I probably slept 3hrs of tossing and turning just thinking about getting 4 premolars and 2 molars extracted Thursday. So tomorrow morning at 9 am I go for the extractions. I am going to do my warmwater&salt rinses as often as possible for the next week so I can heal ASAP. I want to make my ortho appt for my brackets within a week!
I have thought of the day I get the braces off. I will be one of those people that the ortho hands the mirror to them and I will break down in tears. I've had that dream so many times years ago when I was younger. Now it will be real.

Thank you guys soooooo much for letting me spill my guts out here.

Gennel

[blondie111]

Oh yes, I was teased. I have BIG teeth in a small mouth, so that's why I have such crowding, but when I was a kid and my mouth was even smaller, it pushed my two front teeth way out. I was called "buck tooth" by a lot of kids, including my sister!

As I got older, and my mouth grew bigger, the teeth kinda fell back a little more, but still not all the way, but the teasing did stop. It was hell for me, but I got over it. I am still very self concious about my teeth, but that's why I got braces. I'm tired of smiling only half-heartedly!

[JoeMama]

Hi Gennel - So sorry about the teasing. But getting your teeth fixed sounds like something really nice you could do for yourself. It's hard to wear braces as an adult (for some of us), but it's easier than being self-conscious about your smile. And you know that there's an end in sight - a nice straight teeth end!

I was picked on as a kid because I have really long eyelashes. My classmates called me a "hooker" because they thought I was wearing makeup. I was so upset I cut them off. Luckily they grew back! It's all very funny to me now. I think kids will pick on just about anyone given the chance. Or at least certain children will. And it's amazing how much damage they can do to a person's self-esteem. It's nice that you're teaching your kids not to do that. Best wishes.

[Fran1988]

Hey Gennel,

I have been teased alot due to my teeth. It has mainly been with my front teeth. They were Big and triangular in shape and slightly inverted, so i was the subject of "playground bullying". I used to be called big teeth and goofy, which really hurt inside. I have now grown to be embarrased in front of people wen talking but expecially when i laugh and smile. I don't think i have one photo of me with a open mouth smile becasue my front teeth where so big and mishaped. However,when i was getting braced yesterday, my Ortho reshaped my front teeth so that they are now "normal" sized and i already feel as if i have got a load of confidence back. However i will always rember when a guy in school said "get out of the way big teeth" in front of everyone in the lunch Q.

Those days have gone

[sharrsharrsheesheiya]

Hello folks this is my first post and I'm so pleased to find others sharing my experience--as oldest of three I always got stick about my ''goofy'' looks and weird way of speaking, then worse after my hand was damaged in accident. But nothing prepared me for the name-calling as soon as I got the headgear, that was so horrid and girls in my class were by far the worst though my French teacher was horrible just cos I had trouble reading in class!!! Then this last 2 years its been magic cos my boyfriend is sooooo nice about everything and when I'm with him nobody says a word any more.I think after a bit the teasing thing makes you feel more determined to see it all through and in some ways I'm a lot stronger now cos of my ortho treatment, so it's not just my teeth that have benefitted. Lovely place this, and hope to get to know some of you, love Sharrsharrsheesheiya

[Dodger(UK)]

Oh yes, I was teased. I have BIG teeth in a small mouth, so that's why I have such crowding

Ditto!

I think I got off a little lightly with being teased. I was tall for my age during those growing up years 11-16, before everybody caught me up. So, maybe people thought and said things about my teeth behind my back, but never to my face. I kept them well hidden though, so didn't give them too much ammunition to work with.

Gennel - Good luck with your extractions tomorrow, keep thinking of the end result, when it will all be worth it

[WhyMe?]

Gennel, I am sorry to hear about the teasing that both you and your daughter have suffered. Have you fixed your daughter's problem? A unibrow is much easier to fix than teeth LOL! Please, if you haven't already, buy that poor girl some wax and help her out. I know because my daughter had the same problem a few years back. I did not fix it because I thought it would be "vain". Her teacher pulled me aside and explained that I might as well save her from the teasing now and avoid her having a stigma (much like people on this board who were teased about their teeth). I'm lucky her teeth are straight because I don't know if I could afford two sets of braces

Anyway, I was only teased by one person growing up and that was my father. Needless to say I no longer have a relationship with such a mean person. My husband has never teased me, but it drives me crazy when he gets critical over strangers when I have similar flaws...ARGH!