How have braces made a difference to your life?

Message

#16 Post by **true_jaat** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:42 am

Some people on this forum continuously 'hijack' this post to prove a point about something. I agree with jzaboo when he says -

Have another bong hit, jump onto your rainbow, and peace out, man!

The discussion has just gone haywire - let me just requote my original post:

Generally how has your social/personal life changed?

All views about how braces have made a difference to ur life are welcome. (all other views about how to cure depression are not welcome)

#17 Post by **jcdamon3** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 5:36 pm

Have another bong hit, jump onto your rainbow, and peace out, man!

I think this is kind of funny! I don't do drugs. I think it is kind of funny! Take if for the manner in which it was intended. It means "Chill out dude!!"

Maybe you have to be from California coast to get it.

#18 Post by **jcdamon3** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:37 am

Smiling does make you happier!

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/200 ... smile.html

I am not saying it will bring you out of clinical depression...

Sorry about saying the "Peace Out" comment was funny - I guess the original post was deleted so I took it out of context.

I think what we need to realize here folks is that 90% of the people on this board are doing braces for cosmetic reasons (not me actually) and expect AT LEAST to feel less self conscious about their smiles. When you tell them that ALL their self worth should come from within it is just a little unrealisitc. I mean when I reach the highest level on the maslows hierarchy of needs you will be the first to know, I guess, since you are there already! So while the rest of us are still groveling our way up - give us a little break okay! And be careful what you say because you really are putting folks down.

ie:

who are being willfully ignorant

#19 Post by **jcdamon3** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:47 am

Here is another one:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Smile---6-Top ... n&id=92570

I happen to be quite happy but still want to look my best. And I try to encourage others to do their best to look good. I try to dress in style, wear makeup, get my hair done. And I do *feel* better when I look better and I want to smile more when I know I look good.

If you can be extremely happy while wearing duct tape to keep your socks up - more power to you.

#20 Post by **jcdamon3** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:04 pm

that every single word of a reply is aimed at the poster of the most recent entry to the thread

Exactly.

I wasn't aiming anything at you directly. This is not about you Maryaten.

What bugs me is folks though with a holier than thou attitude that they know that happiness comes from within and the rest of us just don't get it. We have had this discussion over and over again on this board and we get pissed off at each other every time.

This board is about self improvement for most of us! Let us have that, okay? The fact that I am not in braces for cosmetic purposes is mute because if my teeth were really crooked I would have wanted braces for cosmetic purposes. And I *do* think it can boost your confidence. I think if you have confidence other things in your life CAN change! In fact I think lots of things in your life can change.

So let's just agree to disagree. Okay? And just remember, there are alot of people who have been teased about their teeth and they aren't going to just "get over it" cuz you said they should. It simply isn't that easy.

#21 Post by **CLAmom** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:37 pm

Amen, jc. I like how you just put it.

#22 Post by **jcdamon3** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:37 pm

Again, my post was not entirely aimed at you Maryaten.

All I am saying is coming on this board and saying (and this is not a quote) "oh I would never make the mistake of having my confidence be about my looks" is kind of like going on a board for people to quit smoking and saying "oh, I would never smoke". "I am just on this board because I like the smell of cigarettes."

I am exaggerating here but I think you get my point.

It would be fine if you *did* just say "Please be careful not to think that fixing your teeth is going to change your life".

Again I am saying "you" but I am talking in general.

#23 Post by **sjsarre** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:04 am

Obviously I am still in braces and a relative newbie. Initially my quest for braces was cosmetic. But then realising after consultation that it was also required if I didn't want to lose my teeth in later life and end up with lots of fillings etc.

Back to the cosmetic side. Call me shallow, but my brace journey was PURELY cosmetic. Having lacked self esteem from being called bugs bunny to fish face and rubber lips (not so bad words but when you are a teenage girl they do hurt!)when I was at school, I learnt and perfected the art of smiling without showing my teeth. This led me to being called other names but that was OK!! Why such the long face springs to mind!!!

Another issue I had was that i'm a very social creature.. Love to go out and party. Unfortunately once you've had a drink of two you lose your inhibitions and I would often be seen smiling grinning etc. Photo's taken of birthday parties family events with my hideous teeth poking out ended up with me retracting into my shell and running away everytime a camera came by. Hence a rather thin family album...

I became so self consious that I learnt without realising to turn my head away when laughing. To look at the floor. To cover my mouth. OR to look like a complete grump. In the end it was the grumpy moody look that I perfected!

Now with my new hardware in my mouth I have finally found the confidence to smile without covering my mouth (even though the brace looks a bit hideous with springs etc at the moment) people can see i'm having treatment and even if it was only ever me that noticed the issues I don't care anymore. I'm sorting it out.

I DO think and even now I know that fixing my teeth for cosmetic reasons has and is changing my life.....

Adding to this thread and slightly off topic.. I would most definately consider plastic surgery. In fact get me the brochure!

I'm not proud LOL..

#24 Post by **SUGARANGEL** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 6:06 am

I AGREE with Jcdamon3, KK, and Sjsarre....

You have to understand that many many people wants their teeth fixed is to improve their teeth to make them feel more happier and more comfortable. Reason why I went see my orthodontist is to fix my 4mm overjet/ 70 percents deepbite where people can notice my teeth are off the alignment (that is overjet) when I smile. Few crooked also. I want to have my teeth fixed is to make me feel more self-confidence. This board message is not about depression. It is ABOUT people with braces and how to feel about it with each others. You really are putting folks down.

#25 Post by **SUGARANGEL** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 6:26 am

This is for Meryaten right above I posted recently.

#26 Post by **sjsarre** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 2:03 pm

I think we have cross wires..

To make things simple I personally would say my brace journey is 100% about confidence and cosmetics.. My confidence was knocked down consistently for years. This continual knock down made me hide away and become depressed and withdrawn. Eating for comfort and gaining weight. Feeling unattractive..

Maybe there are underlying causes and maybe I should look further than just having straight teeth, but personally this is making me completely happy and giving me my confidence back. Something that I haven't had for years!

Obviously I also know now that my teeth will be much easier to clean and should hopefully now last me a lifetime.. But thats only a by product of what my initial journey was all about!

#27 Post by **hippyhippo** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:37 pm

Wow, this thread has gone a bit haywire!

j3damon3, you said:

All I am saying is coming on this board and saying (and this is not a quote) "oh I would never make the mistake of having my confidence be about my looks" is kind of like going on a board for people to quit smoking and saying "oh, I would never smoke". "I am just on this board because I like the smell of cigarettes."

And that's absolutely fair enough - I agree! But I don't think anyone has even alluded anything similar to that in this thread.

What I did hear was (paraphrasing)

"Fixing your teeth if you're unhappy with them is great, and it may definitely boost your self esteem. Yay! But it's always good to remember that prefect teeth (or fake breasts, or botox filled lips, etc) are not some magic bullet to happiness and glory."

Which I agree with completely. And I'm pretty sure everyone else here does too, from the sounds of it. So I'm not sure why we are all arguing?!?

#28 Post by **sjsarre** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 1:53 am

I didn't think it was arguing in the proper sense? I posted because I wanted to say why I decided to go for braces.

Without changing the subject and going off at a tangent. In all fairness, I don't suffer from any deep ingrained issue where I should have counselling whereby I should accept who I am and love who I am. To be honest I love myself

.. I don't mean that in the self obsessed way.... BUT, if I felt the need to have cosmetic work done, then I probably would. Just like having my teeth done now is about 70% cosmetic 30% for health reasons.

#29 Post by **jcdamon3** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 9:16 am

If you go back carefully I am sure that you will find some posts on this thread (at least two) that pretty much sound like that, which I won't quote directly.

There is also some past history on this board also which is why I jumped in because whenever these kinds of conversations come up people are put down for being shallow.

Oh and there is the reference to BDD. Let's just not all assume because we want a nicer smile that we are going to go off into some kind of addiction to cosmetic surgery.

Yes, it is good to be careful with our excectations, absolutely! In fact I am worried that I won't like my teeth at all when I am done. I actually have the opposite problem, because my teeth were straight before I started and now that I am having them straightened for my bite -it could change my smile so much I might not like it.

BUT I want to support those on this board who are going down this journey and I hope very much that they love their smile, they have more confidence going forward and that good things come their way! Sometimes just the positive feelings that you are doing something great for yourself can be a new beginning and the start of better things to come!

Again, I don't disagree with the fact that we should be careful about our excpectations. It's just the way the message is delivered in some of the above posts that I don't like.
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#30 Post by **jzaboo** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 9:13 pm

I've just had the opportunity to get back on this thread and I see we are divided into two camps-nothing wrong with that. And, some people can't take a joke, too bad for them.

Again, back to the original thread. Will we go on TV, meet Mr. Right, make a million dollars after getting braces? No. Did anyone say that's what they expected? No. It was posed-has this experience changed you in any way? And we are to respond. A legitmate question that should not have been subject to ridicule or the accusations of shallowness. Considering 80% or more of you on this site already have braces, I think the fact that we want to look better has already been established-if you say it wasn't a factor in any way, 'cuz you're just so gosh darn beautiful inside-sorry, I don't believe you.