Metal Mouth Message Board

SueFromNJ wrote: It would be great if the 1st thing through other people's mind isn't "Ewww! Why doesn't she get those teeth FIXED!!!".

Have poeple told you that ? I havent met anyone in my life whose teeth I thought of first in an encounter. There are a couple of people whose teeth caught my eye later, but it was because they were missing (extraction/fell out) or because they had decayed (blackened).

I will be able to smile more, and conversations about teeth will no longer make me uncomfortable.

I THINK FOR ME I'LL SMILE IN PICTURES AND SHOW MY TEETH..BECAUSE LOOKING BACK AT ALL MY PICTURES NOT ONE HAS ME SHOWING MY TEETH...MATEO

SueFromNJ--I completely agree with you about getting passed over for things because of teeth (we've had this conversation before, no?) I mean, in the workforce people get passed over for lots of unfair reasons...I know it's happened to me in order to give the opportunity to someone picture perfect who will just represent the organization 'better'. I also know I've been picked for different things while others have always been passed over...it depends on what characteristics are important to which boss. But, when this happens over and over again in life, you begin to understand what's happening.

I'm pretty realistic about all this....It'll be another To-Do checked off my Life-List....alittle late, but....it will be done. I'll be 18 months older but that's OK too......I will be able to floss properly and that's a Big Plus! Smile more? That was never a major issue......But I will surely be able to stop this darn lisping that I have going on since braced!....I will definitely Not miss that!

WiredNana wrote:I'm pretty realistic about all this....It'll be another To-Do checked off my Life-List....alittle late, but....it will be done. I'll be 18 months older but that's OK too......I will be able to floss properly and that's a Big Plus! Smile more? That was never a major issue......But I will surely be able to stop this darn lisping that I have going on since braced!....I will definitely Not miss that!

I feel very similar to you. It's not something that "absolutely must be done!" but rather, something that should be done. It's a step in the right direction. Most other people had their teeth fixed as teenagers, and on some psychological level maybe that's part of it for me, just feeling as if I need to go through the process.

Imperfect teeth aren't that "one thing" that's holding me back, but I had the opportunity to take care of it now, waiting until later will just mean less time with nice teeth. It will not be a 100% life improvement, but an improvement that will be pleasant and hopefully will last me a lifetime.[/i]

Umm, let's see. I will smile more. I will not be afraid of cameras anymore. I will be asked out by lots of gorgeous blokes! Yeah, right!

Things that I think will change for me after braces:

1. Be happy when I look at my smile and my straight teeth.
2. Be proud that I was strong enough to go through all the pain & trouble to accomplish something I believed would make me happier as a person.
3. Be more confident about my looks & personal fortitude, especially the latter, for having survived the journey.
4. Smile more! And not be afraid to smile like how I feel I want to smile (big and toothy!) in front of the camera sometimes.
5. Be less afraid to face my fears, having proved to myself that I willingly faced one of my biggest fears by doing the oral surgery that went along with braces.
6. Have a TON more respect for anybody who gets braces or undertakes any challenge for the sake of making themselves healthier, happier people.
7. Stop having nightmares about "what-if" scenarios regarding an impacted canine... i.e. no more "what if I eventually turn 50 and then the impacted canine gets abcessed!?"
8. Feel grateful when I at least look over 21 again. I was just becoming comfortable with being able to look like I'm in my 20s as a 25-year-old. But I am told by strangers consistently now that I look 18 or 19 or so. I'm sure I would appreciate this if I were ten years older than I am, but as a young entrepreneur it can pose some difficulties. People are more willing to trust businesswomen who look like they have some experience, and looks are deceptive right now.
9. Maybe my improved self-confidence, smile, and destiny will see to it that I can eventually stop being single one day! Not that single is bad, it's just that it can get old when you really want to share laughter and experiences with a kindred spirit.

I guess for me, a lot will change. Actually, a lot has changed already. The obvious things first: I'll smile a little easier... probably without being as self conscious about it. But I think I'll always be a little conscious of it. I don't think you can go through what we're going through, and not be reminded of your smile so easily. I'll carry it with me for the rest of my life, but in a better way.

I'm sure it's going to change how I view things which seem, at first, to be too hard to deal with. Knowing that I was able to endure this, and get through it will be a great reminder that, what initially seems to be too difficult a situation, when approached with the right attitude, can very well be accomplished.

I'm sure I'll also have a better grasp on being patient with things which require great lengths of time to develop. Knowing that some of the best things, or even just regular things in life, sometimes require waiting patiently.

Being in braces has, for obvious reasons, shifted my focus on taking better care of my teeth but, it hasn't stopped there. I think it'll also remind me to place more emphasis on taking better care of my entire body as a whole. Diet, exercise and the like.

It's hard to fully know exactly what will or will not definately change but, I know there will be changes, and I hope they'll be for the better. For me, having braces has been one of the biggest blessings of my life. And for me to just look at it in the light of, "I just got my teeth straightened." totally misses the bigger picture.

For me, I've already learned a lot of things about myself that I was never aware of. This whole experience will definately be a springboard into a pool of greater things to come.

I will smile more and feel more comfortable about meeting new people.

For the first time in my life I will smile in pictures and eat grill roasted corn on the cob.

i cant wait i will be able to smile with no fear of people seeing my teeth or having to cover my mouth with my hand

I am excited about my bite improving.
I also can't wait to bite into an apple. I have never been able to do that before.
Also, being able to floss without pulling and tugging, because my teeth were so crammed together! That will be the BEST!!

mookyyzed--well said