Metal Mouth Message Board

Since getting braces I notice that I spend more time looking at other people's teeth (strangers, aquaintances, friends) and thinking oh they have really nice teeth or oh they totally need braces!

It feels kind of weird because before I was looking into orthodontics treatment I never would made those internal comments to myself (probably because before who am I to judge with my terrible teeth and doing nothing about it!!) Anyone else experiencing this?

I don't think noticing whether some has had treatment, or needs treatment, is being judgemental. Thinking negative things about the person because of their lack of treatment would be judgemental. I do often wonder why celebrities, usually people with money to spare, choose to treat their top teeth only when their bottom teeth clearly need treatment as well. I see that a lot on tv.

And yes, I do it all the time. And I'm not the only one. It happens so much more now that I am going through braces. It's like when you buy a new car, suddenly you see your same car all over the roads.

I have started to notice it a lot more and I can't stand it when people have bad teeth..... kissing unkempt teeth

Same, and I don't think that noting other people's need for treatment is judgmental in any way either, everyone has their own reasons for not getting braces and if they can make peace with they have and move on with life then more power to them. Until recently, I was the same....it wasn't done in my early years for various reasons, and for a long time my only choice was to accept what I had, ignore the problems, and to live life the best I could.

What I find very frustrating is seeing someone with a great set of teeth in close to perfect alignment who can't even be bothered to take care of them, I feel like I want to walk up to them and give them a good hard shake to wake them up.

I definitely notice teeth a lot more now. But I would never judge someone for having bad teeth, braces are so incredibly expensive that I just can't justify having a negative attitude about other people's wonky teeth. And hey, not everyone is self-conscious about their teeth - if someone is happy within themselves and doesn't feel the need to have straight teeth, then more power to them!

I do agree that it's painful seeing teeth that aren't well looked after. I usually only see that on the internet though because I generally have to be standing extremely close to someone to notice, say, gingivitis or cavities or something.

EVERY.DAY. I look at everyone's teeth and note what they have going on. I can't say we are judgmental but it seems like a heightened awareness.
I look all the time! I find myself thinking "Ill be she had braces"....or "looks like his bottom teeth are a little crooked"...etc. I am not being mean and not at all saying that these folks are ugly or anything. Its almost like noticing what color someone's eyes are all day.
But, yeah, don't feel bad.
I find it extremely interesting now!!

Ever since I got mine on I noticed people's smiles a lot more! I don't mind the condition, because that is none of my business, but I can definitely tell if somebody has had braces.

I read the topic while i was only in spacers and was thinking nah i wouldn't do that why someone would to that, and now that i have my braces on i do it all the time..

Since I'm dealing with relapse now, I definitely spend too much time looking at people's teeth. I did it the first time around, because by the time I got my braces off, everyone else was getting theirs on. I don't tend to do it as much in public as I do when I watch TV--like when another user commented prior to me about celebrities only getting their top teeth fixed, only for the bottom to still be messed up. I've noticed that a lot recently, and I think most actors just get veneers...and to me, they usually look super fake. I was a huge Hilary Duff fan in the early 2000s, and seeing her basically destroy her cute smile with veneers that were way too big for her face saddened me!

On the same token, like others have also mentioned, I'd never judge. Orthodontic work is so expensive! My Dad didn't want to be on the payment plan back in the day, because of the interest, so he sold his vintage car and actually brought the rest of the payments in cash to the orthodontist's office. The doctor was sweating it, my Dad goes: "Go ahead, count it!" ROTFL!

One of my best friends is super conscious about her teeth because she's never had braces. I think she has a great smile, so I guess it's all what you're used to! And I have a cousin now, who is only a few years older than me (she's 26), who got braces on for the first time. Meanwhile, her sister had braces in her teens and never wore the retainers so she's had some relapse. You wouldn't know unless she pointed it out, quite honestly.

But to me, not going for cleanings and preventative care blows my mind. I know not everyone can afford it, and for that I would never judge, but if you have insurance, why not go? (I have another friend like this and it's like talking to a brick wall.) My mother was so poor when she was young she never even went to the dentist until she got her first job in her early twenties, and she had to have teeth pulled, root canals, fillings, you name it, she had done. Her teeth aren't the best, but her smile lights up a room.

LockedinMyTower wrote:Since I'm dealing with relapse now, I definitely spend too much time looking at people's teeth. I did it the first time around, because by the time I got my braces off, everyone else was getting theirs on. I don't tend to do it as much in public as I do when I watch TV--like when another user commented prior to me about celebrities only getting their top teeth fixed, only for the bottom to still be messed up. I've noticed that a lot recently, and I think most actors just get veneers...and to me, they usually look super fake. I was a huge Hilary Duff fan in the early 2000s, and seeing her basically destroy her cute smile with veneers that were way too big for her face saddened me!

On the same token, like others have also mentioned, I'd never judge. Orthodontic work is so expensive! My Dad didn't want to be on the payment plan back in the day, because of the interest, so he sold his vintage car and actually brought the rest of the payments in cash to the orthodontist's office. The doctor was sweating it, my Dad goes: "Go ahead, count it!" ROTFL!

One of my best friends is super conscious about her teeth because she's never had braces. I think she has a great smile, so I guess it's all what you're used to! And I have a cousin now, who is only a few years older than me (she's 26), who got braces on for the first time. Meanwhile, her sister had braces in her teens and never wore the retainers so she's had some relapse. You wouldn't know unless she pointed it out, quite honestly.

But to me, not going for cleanings and preventative care blows my mind. I know not everyone can afford it, and for that I would never judge, but if you have insurance, why not go? (I have another friend like this and it's like talking to a brick wall.) My mother was so poor when she was young she never even went to the dentist until she got her first job in her early twenties, and she had to have teeth pulled, root canals, fillings, you name it, she had done. Her teeth aren't the best, but her smile lights up a room.

I agree with you...if you have insurance, it should be a no brainer to go for checkups. However, I think a lot of people have a fear of the dentist and it stops them from going. And even if it's not necessarily a fear of pain, it's fear they'll be told they're not doing a good enough job keeping their mouth healthy.

I agree that Hilary Duff's teeth don't look authentic at all. Natural teeth are endearing, veneers just look fake. That said, I certainly understand why people go with veneers.

As for me, I've done a flip flop since I've gotten braces. Before I started all this, I was always noticing how nice other people's teeth were and how terrible mine looked. Now that mine are straight, now it seems like everyone else's are crooked. But when I do see someone with nice teeth, I have to stop myself from telling them they have beautiful teeth because I feel like people would find that weird, lol.

I don't have braces yet as I am working towards that goal now. But I do this all of the time. I am really self conscious about my teeth and I feel like if you're self conscious about something on YOUR body, you will be more likely to compare yourself to others in that aspect. And not just teeth either! I also try not to judge because unfortunately here in the US, dental is expensive and really hard to get. I try to keep an open mind, but I definitely do notice these things.

jaime wrote: But when I do see someone with nice teeth, I have to stop myself from telling them they have beautiful teeth because I feel like people would find that weird, lol.

Or, telling that to someone you don't know very well and then you find out later that they're actually wearing full dentures....oops