braces and your social life?

Message

#76 Post by **jxds** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 1:07 am

I definitely was a little bit self-conscious the first weeks, but after I recovered from the initial shock, they have not affected my social life at all, except perhaps from the fact that I tend to refrain from snacking whenever I am with more people -I don't want to talk with stuff stuck in my braces!

I do a lot of public speaking, and I know the braces make me look younger (I already look younger without them, which sometimes is OK and when I am teaching or something it isn't that great).

But if people first stare at my teeth, they forget really soon about them, so no problem at all

I didn't get any negative comments, some people asking why I need braces but most people didn't say anything at all or were supportive.

#77 Post by **dagwoman** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 3:31 am

After not having had a girlfriend for ages pre-braces, I finally started seeing someone while in braces, a few months ago. I'm getting my braces off in a few weeks, and each time I've mentioned it, she says "you have to remind me on the day you get them off, otherwise I won't notice any difference, and you'll be offended!" She's so sweet.

#78 Post by **descantus** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:44 am

As someone who's about to get braced this topic has been really informative - I think there have been more positives than negatives so far!

I put off having this brace for years as I was worried about the impact on social life, peoples reactions, and was even worried it would affect my chances in job interviews

Now, being older and wiser, i'm going for it. I'm expecting to encounter more curiosity than anything else, but if anyone judges me negatively then they're obviously not worth knowing (or working for) anyway.

#79 Post by **jxds** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 10:09 am

go ahead, descantus! even if you now don't really believe us, most people does not really care at all about your braces - they might make a comment, or not, but is not that they are really concerned about that. I guess everyone is so busy with her stuff that other people's teeth are just irrelevant to them.

I am so happy I did it, but if I were to regret, it would not be for the social part of it, but rather for other inconveniences -eating, cleaning, pain, adjustments, money.

#80 Post by **snashe** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:16 am

Volontary un-digging, i wanted to bump up this thread, i find it pretty interesting and full of ideas, very usefull

danish wrote:Personally I do not understand how braces can make a person more self-confident and make the person smile more etc. There seems to be cultural explanation behind this and I wonder if it has to do with the affluence aspect. Nevertheless I find this reaction fascinating and admittedly I envy the people who feel like this... Embarassed

Sometimes you find that you fear something and this fear is unrationnal,
may it be with archnids or with anything else.
Experiences may help to realise that a fear was ... hrmm let's say "just a fear" and that this reaction wasn't that necessary, and now doors are open and you may encouter arachnids without "yelling and jumping on a chair" (you take the picture

)
Everyone encouter an unique emotion (some look like some others thought) the same "fear" (or another emotion) and one experience may help someone but not someone else.
Just an idea.

Hope this thread to keep being feed, advices and experiences on it are so great

#81 Post by **Megan11** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:49 pm

snashe wrote:Sometimes you find that you fear something and this fear is unrationnal,
may it be with archnids or with anything else.
Experiences may help to realise that a fear was ... hrmm let's say "just a fear" and that this reaction wasn't that necessary, and now doors are open and you may encouter arachnids without "yelling and jumping on a chair" (you take the picture )
Everyone encouter an unique emotion (some look like some others thought) the same "fear" (or another emotion) and one experience may help someone but not someone else.

Huh!?

#82 Post by **beachmommy** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 1:08 pm

Megan11 wrote:
snashe wrote:Sometimes you find that you fear something and this fear is unrationnal,
may it be with archnids or with anything else.
Experiences may help to realise that a fear was ... hrmm let's say "just a fear" and that this reaction wasn't that necessary, and now doors are open and you may encouter arachnids without "yelling and jumping on a chair" (you take the picture )
Everyone encouter an unique emotion (some look like some others thought) the same "fear" (or another emotion) and one experience may help someone but not someone else.

Huh!?

Color me confused too!

#83 Post by **snashe** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:22 pm

Bless my english!

Sorry about the understanding problem, sometimes I'd like to know to speak english

danish wrote: Personally I do not understand how braces can make a person more self-confident and make the person smile more etc. There seems to be cultural explanation behind this and I wonder if it has to do with the affluence aspect. Nevertheless I find this reaction fascinating and admittedly I envy the people who feel like this... Embarassed

snashe wrote:Sometimes you may realise that a fear is unrational, a fear about archnids for example, but it could be anything else.
Experiences may help to realise that a fear was in fact ... "just a fear" and that the reaction you had wasn't _that_ necessary. After this, you may react in a somehow different way than you used to.

In such ways, braces experience (and experiences in general in fact) could help people about their self confidence.
Everyone's emotions are quite unique, and so are the intensity of theses emotions. Considering theses facts, it become obvious that an experience could help about someone's confidence but not someone else. Anyways, there are chances that, for you, it exists others experiences which could serve as a key.

"If someone throw a ball in the airs and that instead of dropping on ground, the ball start to fly then you could instantly realise that gravity doesn't exist."
experience > thinking

When i found this kind of thing DO happend, i also found that it is nice to keep this concept in mind when being in a bad shape (because of an emotionnal behavior for example).
Knowing deeply that things do change really _give_ a deep breath. ;wink:

So far this thread have been very helpfull to me because it opens perspectives, I hope I can write something too but I think i'll give up if the idea doesn't travel.

On a personnal side, I have no experiences with braces yet (I still need to fix a jaw problem

) so I can only speak about what I fear: I dont know how I will handle social life when I'll get braces, and this is especially true about the strangers that I will encouter here and there. About strangers, I simply dont know how I could "handle" them. I can add that the feeling to live in a mind-closed city (that is not too rational) doesn't help.

#84 Post by **changes09** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 7:11 am

I am in the military and we do physical training alot. So I am always aware of my teeth. I'm always scared I will get hi in the mouth. And next week I am going to the field for three days for intense training. So I ordered a special mouth gaurd.

and where i am a dental assistant I have adults always asking me, what I think about braces, who does it, and all that stuff. I feel like I am helping other people who have the same issues I do. It's wonderful!

#85 Post by **HeatherRenae88** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:25 pm

I'm only on day 3 with braces, but I am interested to see how this whole process will affect me socially. I'm 20, in college, & work with the public as a sales associate in a men's store. I was really nervous about going to work yesterday, but it wasn't bad at all. Honestly, it seemed as though people were even more friendlier towards me. My co-workers were very supportive, and I still have my mind set on the fact that it will all be worth it in the end. If a guy is not interested in me because I'm wearing braces for a small fraction of my life (hopefully) =), then it is his loss. I want someone who likes me for me anyway, not my mouth. I am much more concerned about not being able to enjoy some of my favorite foods & restaurants to tell you the truth! Ha ha.