Evidently, the "weirdness" comes from our pre-braces expectation of the attention our braces will receive in contrast to the reality, which makes me glad I started this thread, because it might be a comfort to any newbie thinking about getting braces but still afraid to take the plunge because they don't want to draw attention to themselves and have to tell everyone why they're getting their teeth fixed.
Newbies out there: RELAX. Truly, 99% of people will just ignore your braces, and before you know it you'll be able to ignore them too.
I can also relate with Dena's comment about feeling self-conscious when people mentioned crooked teeth. Before I got the braces, I was continually swaying between thinking my teeth were okay (they're reasonably straight, but I have an 8mm overjet), and thinking they looked really awful. Being British, I've heard a million times the old joke about British people having bad teeth, but whenever someone mentioned this, I always felt like a big neon-lit arrow was coming down from the sky and pointing at me. Now that I finally have braces, I've had a few people ask why I got them, even going so far as to say I have beautiful teeth - several are still bemused even when I point out the overjet, as if they've never noticed it. So, I guess maybe to others they really didn't look as awful as I felt they did.
Either way, I think if your teeth are something that feels like an issue to you and that you're self-conscious about, seeing as you really can get them fixed without too much trouble (and hopefully not too much expense), in the end I think you're doing yourself a good service by getting the braces, even if others might tell you you don't need them. You're the one who has to live with those teeth. And just think how nice it will be to one day be able to smile wide and be proud of them!
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)