Metal Mouth Message Board

during photo sessions (not the candid ones), do you smile wide open where your teeth are exposed OR do you smile with your teeth unexposed? im asking this question since it's Christmas time and, as we all know, cameras will be flashing everywhere!

I haven't smiled with my mouth open for years... why start now?

Of course when I'm alone and want to take teeth shots... I do, but only 1 out of every 50 or so I take, end up being good enough for anyone else to see.

Week ago I had my work christmas party. It was in a very posh place so put on a big dress, glitter on my eyes....the lot. Two days later I saw the pictures. Big green on all of them and doesn't look bad at all. Ten years later you will look back at the photos and be proud of what you did.

I've always gone for the closed mouth smile, but hoping that will change very soon.

Never used to show my teeth when I smiled. Now I'm proud of fixing my smile, so I finally have some photos showing teeth (and braces)!

Chris

I find myself smiling more overall now that I have braces and my teeth are looking so much better--however for "formal" photos i still keep my lips closed..but if far enough away I guess it wouldn't matter since my ceramics are barely noticable ..bring on the cameras and happy holidays!

Just a natural smile, which usually means my teeth and braces are visible.

I do either, it depends on my mood.

Also depends on if I've been eating.

It looks incredibly fake when I smile without showing teeth. So even though I was ashamed of my teeth before, I would sometimes still smile showing teeth. I think sometimes I would cover my mouth with my hand, depending on the situation though

Now, with braces, I love the way my teeth look. So I definitely show them!

I never could figure out the closed lip smile without looking totally deranged. So obviously when I tried to do it with an extra centimetre protruding from my teeth it didn't work too well either.
I was at a party last week and smiled my big toothy grin. The person who took my picture said it looked awesome because the flash lit one of my brackets, giving a super sparkly smile!
My ortho says to think of braces like a fine piece of jewelry...I'm not so sure about all that, but I say, be proud--you're spending all that money on your smile, so show it off!

i would always smile with my teeth showing...i just didnt want them to get an angle shot where you could see my crossbite...but now i smile big because i am proud of my braces.

My natural smile is usually with my mouth closed, but I don't do it on purpose. I have noticed that when I smile that it hurts to slide my lips into the grin b/c of the braces. My braces don't even really show very much when I do the toothy grin anyway.

I worry more about my hair than my teeth!

Not showing teeth when smiling, what a shame.

I plan to smile as big as I please as soon as I get braced.

//waiting of oral surgeons info befor starting

Even before I got braces I would never stop smiling showing my teeth when laughing or just happy. I still with braces feel self conscience about my ugly smile but its not going to keep me from smiling or laughing.

Taking pictures, now that's another story. I really try to avoid taking pictures. I never take good pictures wiht braces or without. I am totally unphotogenic but I guess I wouldn't try to smile big but I wouldn't try to hide my teeth when smiling either.

-Hannah




Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05

Like most people have said. Pre-braces, tried my hardest not to show any teeth when I smiled. As soon as the braces started to work their magic, I became less reserved, and started to smile more naturally.