Are they perfect?

[Steph in Sac]

Now that your braces are off, do you think your teeth are perfect? Or do you pick out all of the imperfections?

I am still braced. I never cared much about my imperfect teeth until the lower crowding increased. Now, the lowers are braced and I started to obsess about the uppers. I just had some cosmetic dental work on the uppers on Friday and expected perfection. They aren't perfect and I am disappointed. My family thinks they look great and, secretly, I've lost my will to smile--though I don't tell anyone.

I went from never caring about my teeth to being embarrassed and disappointed. I am afraid that once my braces are off, I will have the same reaction to the lowers.

There is something about seeing yourself through a microscope that causes insecurity. Am I the only one?

[Steph in Sac]

Apparently, yes, I am. I was down yesterday, but after looking at my teeth in different lighting, etc., I feel much better. Guess I just needed a moment to feel sorry for myself.

[Lela]

I've seen plenty of posts from people who want perfection so I don't think you are the only one expecting/wanting it

My teeth are not 100% perfect, but I don't mind. I didn't even notice that the black triangles I had have gone away until just a week or so ago. So I guess I don't spend much time looking for flaws to nitpick about.

I hope you get your will to smile back quickly. Even with "flaws" a smiling face is much more lovely then a non-smiling face.

[mihaelici]

When the day came for my braces to come off, after 3 years, I almost told my ortho not to take them off yet, because I had the impression that one tooth was still not in the right position and seemed smaller than the one next to it. He explained that it was because of the gum and that as soon as I have the braces off and my mouth and gum will get used to be 'naked' I'll be able to clean them better and the gum will be healthier therefore the tooth would look better as well. I have to say he was right, although if I look really closely I still think the teeth are not 100% & perfectly alligned; however, compared to what was going on in my mouth before braces, I could easily call it perfection now. Maybe I'll put some pics.

[yoginbraces]

This is a good topic in that I fear I will obsess over IMperfections at the end as well. Though I've always wanted braces I didn't totally become obsessed over my teeth until I made the decision to actually get braces. Now I not only obsess over my own teeth, but I obsess over other people's teeth, even people I don't know!! I have even gone as far as secretly desiring a certain type of smile (i.e., Angelina Jolie's for example, who I think has amazing teeth). Is this crazy or what?!!

Maybe as I stay in braces long enough I will begin to see my own teeth take shape and will no longer have to *guess* how my teeth will look in the end. I certainly hope so!!

[Che1sea]

I don't think my smile is perfect...my teeth are, though. I just really don't like how my 2 front top teeth don't fully show when I smile. And they used to show more (still not fully, though) before braces.

[rcknrllmom]

Nope, don't think, so at all. A huge improvement, but perfect? No. Especially the bottom. I JUST got them off Friday, had a hard time even looking the last couple of days...I am trying to see how good it looks compared to before, not the shortcomings..

[crookedsmile1]

Hi! Right when I got my braces removed they looked perfect and was very pleased! But my ortho was an ocd and still made tiny tweaks to my retainer to make it even more perfect. lol

So if you aren't happy, I'm sure your ortho is more than happy to make adjustments to your retainer.

[Donna]

I'm scheduled to have my braces off this Friday, and I think my teeth are *almost* perfect, but there is one tooth that is bugging me. My lower left central incisor is not perfectly aligned to the right by a tiny amount (we're talking a fraction of a mm). We've tried to adjust it before but it just causes a mis-alignement on the other side, if that makes sense.

Oh, and I have several black trianges. I am going to look into bonding for those.

So, not they will not be perfect...but I am going to TRY not to obsess.

[Steph in Sac]

My braces (lower only) have been on for 6 months. My ortho should take them off in 2 months depending on what my x-ray next month shows. He's waiting on one stubborn tooth--though if you ask me, it looks fine. The top line of my bottom teeth are slightly off, so he will file them a bit for a more straight appearance.

I have obsessed less over my teeth in the last couple of months and am ready to get these braces off!

[PatJ]

When you invest so much time and effort into getting a good result, it is easy to obsess and I certainly did that. However, since having the black triangles on my top teeth fixed with bonding, every scrap of amalgam removed (in 10 molars/premolars) and a whitening treatment, I am over the moon with the results. I am now obsessed with how good they look. They're not 100% perfect but I still love them!

[aidenk]

I am terrified that I will not be satisfied with the results. Ever since Ive started this process I've been obsessed with how teeth look, so I'll be devastated if I'm not happy with how they look after all this.

[bracegrl]

I think Im a bit obsessesd when it comes to my teeth too. My ortho says that Im ready to have them out, but has given me the option to choose when I want them out. Its so funny that I googled "black triangles" and now I have another thing to obsess about because I see at least two. This is my second go around at braces due to leaving another Ortho who did a terrible job. Im a bit afraid to get them off and then see something I dont like.

[FFWM]

There are certain things about your teeth that can't be changed and this comes down to genetics. Very few people even after braces and various orthodontic and dental procedures will have perfect teeth. For example some people have small teeth, gummy smiles, not perfectly shaped teeth and so forth

[margarets]

Yeah, this is a thing. During my initial consultation, my ortho pointed out imperfections in my teeth that I NEVER noticed, not in all my 44 years. And now they are ALL I SEE. Argh!

So it's annoying but I'm not going to get into bonding/veneers etc to get perfect-perfect teeth because those look so fake they are more noticeable than the imperfections.

Of course, no one but you will really notice, like with so many other physical imperfections. I think it's more psychologically healthy to try to accept them, and remember - most people are more worried about their own flaws than yours!

My dental hygenist once made a comment about too many people getting too much stuff done to their teeth in the quest for perfection. She said that your teeth are part of the character of your face and all the little flaws should be embraced as part of your individuality. Like Cindy Crawford's mole or Liz Taylor's eyebrows.