some people just don't understand...

[busy bee]

I went to visit family for the weekend and the subject of my braces came up in conversation. Rather than being supportive they started saying 'i don'tunderstand why you've bothered with them anyway' and 'that bottom brace can't be doing much'. Perhaps I'm just a little sensitive or maybe they were trying to be nice by saying I didn't need braces but I'd really rather they didn't say anything than make comments like that!

Anyone else had a similar experience?

[Ashybear]

Yes! My brother was like, "who cares about straight teeth, it's not like you're going to be a tooth model". I was actually talking to a friend at a cafe about getting braces (before I got them), and this random guy overheard us talking and was like, "sorry to interrupt, but I don't see the point in getting braces, if somebody has crooked teeth they should leave them. It adds character".

Umm, right. I get what you mean, people just don't understand!

[elainek]

I hate hate HATE when people say 'it adds character'...eh no - my teeth are messed up and I'm not proud of them and that has nothing to do with my character!

People used to say that to me all the time about my front teeth that crossed over and I used to hate it - luckily now I don't have that problem anymore!

Sorry...rant over

[isthistaken]

I was told that, too, that my teeth added character. I think this is a really old-school attitude people developed during the depression to deal with things they couldn't fix. Shabby chic is okay for some things, but not when it leads to gum recession, multiple crowns from broken teeth, and excessive wear on the teeth from improper bite.

[debinator]

I think that is their way of making themselves feel okay about not being more dental health conscious. People fail to realize that something that may seem like a minor flaw that adds "character" can really have long lasting serious effects on dental health- take crowding for example- crowding cause inability to properly clean all surfaces of the tooth and makes it difficult at best and sometimes impossible to floss correctly which can cause cavities, periodontal disease (which often leads to bone loss), and tooth loss just to name a few- if that is "character" I'll do without it thanks

[bmueller]

I hear you!

My teeth were straight but my bite was way off. I got lots of comments/questions Why would you need braces? But you had them as a kid!!! You looked beautiful before... that's nice but my jaw joint was wearing away and my molars were grinding down.

I think people think it's all about vanity when in reality, often adults get braces to fix real problems. Even with crowding/overlapping, it can be difficult to keep teeth clean and healthy.

[amyhenna]

Just last week, a woman flew into town for work. She had not seen me in braces yet, so when she saw them she was surprised. She yelled out, for everyone in the room I work in to hear, "BRACES??? Are you trying to be young again???"

THANKS

What I heard:
1. You're old (-er than anyone who should be getting braces)
2. You're crazy (for bracing the teeth "to be young again")

Nice.......

She's about twenty to thirty years older than me (according to what I heard from another coworker), so I would think she'd be supportive of "never too old" for anything, which is how I live.

Also I constantly get the "but your teeth are straighter than mine!' comment. Well, if I had your teeth, I'd be getting braces. (I don't tell them that)

"But your teeth were already straight." I'll show you "straight" in approximately 18-24 months!

[isthistaken]

Don't tell me that woman doesn't color her hair. Entire swaths of the economy would be eliminated if people didn't want to look younger.

[EmilieMW]

Snap - when I first decided to go for braces everyone told me that it was too expensive and that my teeth were part of me and how I look, and added 'character'. I hated people saying that and all I needed was someone to say - 'yes, you are totally making the right decision'. Anyway, despite most people saying I was wasting my money I went for it and I'm 100% glad I did. I hadn't realised to quite what extent my teeth had effected my confidence. Now I am 7 months down the road and they are a lot straighter I feel so much better - one in the face to all those who said it was a waste of money!

[furious george]

I usually show them "before" pictures.

No one has been really rude to me though. If anyone was, I would let them have it. People color their hair, get fake boobs, shave, wear makeup, fill wrinkles...who is anyone to judge my desire to fix my janky teeth?

[isthistaken]

It took me 40 years to find one person who agreed with me that I needed braces (my current dentist) and I am far from a borderline case. Person #2 is my super-enthusiastic orthodontist. Everyone else is starting to come around.

[Ciara]

I suppose the same people think grey hair adds character, wrinkles at character, hairy legs add character.....the list is endless! And not everyone gets braces because of vanity. Even if teeth appear straight, some people have bite issues, TMJ problems, tipped/rotated molars, posterior crossbite etc. There are many medical reasons to have braces, and having straight teeth with a good bite is good for overall health. No, some people just don't get it.

[isthistaken]

I suppose the same people think grey hair adds character, wrinkles at character, hairy legs add character.....the list is endless! And not everyone gets braces because of vanity. Even if teeth appear straight, some people have bite issues, TMJ problems, tipped/rotated molars, posterior crossbite etc. There are many medical reasons to have braces, and having straight teeth with a good bite is good for overall health. No, some people just don't get it.

Definitely, if you break your leg, don't have it properly set. Limping adds character.

[rhibee83]

I basically think people are jealous that they don't take better care of their teeth or can't or won't get braces.

People say to me "i didnt see anything wrong with your teeth in the first place" i guess maybe they say this as they dont exactly want to say "yeh your teeth stick out like a buck tooth monkey".

There is nothing more frustrating when people dont understand why you are doing it and think you are just doing it from being vain. It is about healthy gums and teeth and why not have a winning smile at the end of all the annoyance and pain we have to through lol.

Stuff those mean people, they will never change or understand unless they get braces.

[BracesChick]

I hate this too. No one really understands. My husbands grandmother called me vain. That hurt. Others have said that it's a lot of money when my teeth looked fine to them. I don't care what they think anymore, although it hurts my feelings, I'm doing this for me, because I'm my worse critic. I do have 2nd thoughts though!