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During braces treatment, however, I smiled big. I figured, hey, they look better now than they used to look!
Now that treatment's over, I'm smiling at everyone. Constantly.
Spacers: 1/26/05; 2/6/06; 3/15/06; 4/24/06
4 First Bicuspids removed: 2/2005
Metal Braces, top and bottom: 3/1/05; Debanded 7/26/07
Hawley retainers top and bottom
I always intend to laugh in a subdued way to reduce the glint factor, but then I forget and present full frontal guffaws. Planning on practicing a discrete, shineless smile for the driver's license renewal photo, though. I'll probably forget, then, too and live with a brace-face ID for three years! (And after living the last three years with the only good photo I've ever had--it even receives compliments. Sigh.)
Hmm, I probably always cover my mouth when laughing, I don't like people seeing my braces.
I am a super self-conscious person in general and probably very self-absorbed and vain as well, so I'm extremely conscious about everything involving my physical appearance. Braces is just a small part of that. I always like to look my best and only present myself in ways that accentuate my best qualities. If there is something about me that is unattractive then I downplay that as much as possible.
I'm the type of person that wouldn't let someone I don't know see me without makeup on let alone give them a full view of my braces. That's just me though.
I've always had a big smile (I don't know why, I always hated my teeth!). But since I have four very prominent extraction gaps, I cover my mouth when I laugh or smile big. It's not the braces, it's the mouthful of missing teeth. Call me shallow! The braces don't embarrass me, so I imagine I'll stop covering up when the gaps close.
Bimaxillary protrusion, 4 MM of overjet with a small overbite
I covered them the first few days, not anymore, let them see the braces
Anyway I realized most people don't even notice them ( got ceramics ) or simply don't care.
When I eat .... ouch, that's another story, I cover my mouth until I am done eating and I had at least the chance to rinse off and remove most of the food.
When I had my "flipper" in (a retainer type thing with a fake tooth on it..) I would cover my mouth when I laughed. It looked really bad and I had it for almost 1 year. UGH.
Now with my braces on, I am no longer wearing the flipper to cover the hole where a tooth once was.
I thought I would look *extra* bad, but the braces themselves distract folks from looking at alla that.
I'm proud of my braces in that I think they are a direct- yet "indirect" way to say I give a crap about me and I'm doing something nice for myself.