Metal Mouth Message Board

Since forever, I've never smiled around people that weren't really closely related. Laughing - well, I'd laugh but with my hand over my entire mouth.

Fast forward to now and I'm smiling wide and proud!

Anyone else?

i dont smile in pictures as much now that i have braces.. but i know i will when i get them off!!

I never smiled with a hand before my face, but never smiled much at all. That changed immediatly after my bday, now I enjoy smiling alot more and of course still without hand or hiding. Some people look very strange, but I don't mind a single second I prefer to run around as a happy person, and that I am very.

I agree on not hiding them! They are impossible to hide anyway and I'm kinda proud to be taking care of myself so I do smile. Big and open! Someone else said this somewhere before on a different post and I agree with it - that it is more natural for them to smile now because all the stuff they used to try and hide (tooth crowding, crookedness, whatever) is pretty much behind the braces anyway so why not smile?

No change for me.
I always used to cover my mouth because of my crooked teeth.
When I first got braces I used to cover my mouth to hide my crooked teeth and their ugly braces.
Now I cover my mouth to hide the large overjet that I have developed with my braces. After my jaw surgery, I may consider moving my hand away. At the moment, buck teeth covered in ugly braces don't permit.

I totally agree with KK,
it is very important to not cover the face always or force oneself to smile with closed mouth, because it looks so extremely artificial and un-selfconfident and draws a bad light on adult orthodontic treatment. But a much worse light on you, people will be way more skeptic if someone hides something, instead of showing a more than usual silver smile, which million of adults and even many more millions of child's have. So it creates a bad circle, you feel harassed by more intense looks, because everyone wants to see what you hide, and so you hide even more and in the end you are unhappy. So keep smiling, it just feels strange the first day, then you will feel how happy you really are for the rest of your treatment time

I didn't hide my mouth/smile before and I don't do it now.

Nah, smile and the whole world smiles with you!

I've always smiled wide and often...I have always been a little self conscious (suffice it to say that kids are cruel) but it has never stopped me from grinning all the time No braces yet, but I'm sure I'll still be smiling all the time (unless it hurts). I'm really excited about fixing my smile and my bite, and I hope that I can show people that its OK to have braces as an adult and perhaps help someone else to get up the courage to do this for themselves. Talking to everyone here has helped me get the courage to do this and know I'm not alone, and now I'm proud that I'm doing this for myself

(sorry double post)

I smile all the time now.

This is actually really funny, i was just told that they couldn't really understand me but i sure smile alot.

constantly

I have never really smiled in pictures, but I laugh freely. When I talk to someone new that I find attractive, I do sort of cover my mouth, but once I'm comfortable, I start to think 'who cares?!'. I will be getting braces in the new year, and I think I will likely still not smile and hold my hand up near my mouth most times, but slowly I will try to remember to take it away because my teeth will be beautiful.

cant stop!!! my smile is big and nice now

Beore, I used to smile with my lips tight shut over my teeth. Now, even though I am really concious of my braces, my smile is wide. I'd rather smile now, as people can see that I'm doing something about my wonky teeth, were as before, it looked like I didn't care!

Plus, if you smile, you immediately feel happier.

I'm also enjoying the looks I get from people when they realise I'm wearing braces. Had some people double take!! It makes me laugh!