Metal Mouth Message Board

I got my top braces (metal) put on Sept. 16 and will be getting my bottom braces put on Sept.28. My question is how did you deal with the self-esteem and self consciousness of having braces on? Sometimes I feel a little unattractive and that no one would want to approach a woman with braces because they may think she's a teenager. I am 26 years old. I know as my treatment progress and I see the changes this will all be worth it. Advice please.

braceface2005, I still feel self concious and don't smile at all yet. I just can't seem to do it. Everytime I laugh I find myself turning away so no one can see. Last night I went out to dinner at The Cracker Barrel and the waitress had braces, I felt so at home. I smiled with her and it was all good.

This morning is a big day for me. I go into work for the First Time in braces...I am a little nervous to say the least. I am getting less focused on them them though.

I'm also a 26 year old female, and I've had my braces for just over 3 weeks now. I've found that I tend to smile, and notice I'm smiling, a LOT more now than I ever did without braces. I'm just so happy that my teeth will be fixed in no time, that I don't care what I look like. I've had TONS of compliments on them already, and I've even got a few from complete strangers!

Working in retail, I have to talk to people every day, and I feel a lot more confident and sure of myself now than I ever did. Just give it some time, then you'll be showing them off constantly!

I've had my braces for a week too! I got them on the 15th.
I dealt with the self conciousness head on. I figured, "look, I'm going to have them and I'm going to have them for awhile...I might as well grin and bear it and get used to them now." So I've been flaunting them a bit and just dealing with it. I was afraid my bf was going to think I wasn't as pretty, but again, I new that it was well worth it and that I'll just have to deal with it.

One habit I have to get over: covering my mouth when I talk to people! One of my co-workers said I'll end up doing that when I get my braces off, so I'm trying not to do it.

Right now I just need to get used to chewing food....it's been a week and I still can't really chew on ANYTHING!

I think my confidence has gone up, I'm on camera alot and always used to try and hide my teeth but now I'm flashing my metal smile off all the time. I was a bit worried they'd make me look geeky and younger (although I'm only 18 ) but I've only ever got nice comments and I got a new job whilst wearing my braces.
The only person I ever hid them from was my boyfriend when he saw them for the first time because I knew he'd laugh but he was only messing about