How self-conscious are you about your braces?

[jem]

A number of people have posted recently saying how hard they are finding it to cope with their braces socially or in connection with their work. I began to wonder how many people have the same issue?

So on a scale of 1 to 10, how self-conscious would you say you are you about your braces?

I would say after 9 months that I am now at about 4 but it was nearer 9 in the first couple of weeks.

Jem

[BellaBraces]

I'm not so much self conscious as aware of them, if that makes sense.

If I have to speak to anyone after eating but before I have had time to check in the mirror that they're not festooned with bits of food I do feel self conscious, though.

[denSMSgt]

It seems I'm odd since they don't phase me, but I'm totally a 1 on the scale. It might jump to a 2 if I think there might be some food stuck up front that I may have a hard time getting to and there's no toothpick to be found, but that's about it.

Once things have been leveled out and and straight overall, I think a braced smile looks fabulous personally. I may actually be a bit bummed out when my wife gets her braces off, but I'll be thrilled that her TMJ issue is resolved (I sure hope it is)!

Smile!

[tfischer]

I would say a 10 when I first got them - I thought everyone was staring at them. Now, 10 months later, sometimes a 6 if I am around people who feel they need to talk about other peoples fault (yes, there are nasty dance moms out there in real life that feel they need o put anyone and everyone down). A 1 at home around my family because I know I have their support and they would never say anything nasty about the braces. They all want to know what color I am going with next...and add their 2 cents on the color they would like to see. I work from home so I don't have the work place issues but suspect people would make comments since that just seems to be the way a lot of people are now a days.

[Noni]

I'm very self conscious about my braces , since I started 7 months ago I would say 10 and I'm still self conscious sometimes when I'm at my ups moments I would say 8 but still at 10.

[klobird]

I would say about a 1...but if I feel like I have food stuck in them--10 !!!!

I pretty much like the way my braces look--ya, but I still can't wait for them to come off....

[NICURN85]

I would say I am about a 1 unless like others have mentioned I have food stuck in my teeth then I would be like a 10, but normally when I'm eating at work or in public I go straight to rinse and brush my teeth. I guess braces don't bother me. I love the way I look in them and I know after they come off I will have a great and healthy smile. It's also a lot of people around me with braces so that could be a thing that's helping me. Like one of my co workers and I that hang out outside of work got our braces on the same day so we complain to each other about all the things that happen with our braces.

[cavomington]

6/10 normally, 10/10 when eating and after until I get to my precious waterpik. My current girlfriend didn't notice them until our third date, so I guess I hide them pretty well. I had the elastic-less ceramics with a thin white wire for the first 3 months so they were incredibly hard to see, now I have a thick metal wire sadly.

[Joye30]

I'm probably about a 1. I'm not really aware of them anymore and if anything, I hope people realize I'm doing something positive for myself. I am self-conscious when I think I have food stuck in them, though.

[purpleandteal]

when i first got my braces, i was about a 15, i cried and cried for days. i have a coil on one side that makes my mouth look wonkier than before and i was sooooo self conscious it was unbelievable.
but now, almost 4 months in, im about a 2-4. i still have my coil (fingers crossed it comes out at todays adjustment) and so my mouh is still wonky, but the improvements are so incredible that im not so conscious of them now. im very careful who i eat around though, and if i had to eat around people i wasnt comfortable with, id be at a hard 10. but all in all, iv settled into the life of being a brace face and dont worry much at all. it just takes a lil time to get used to them

[starfish88]

I'm mostly a 1 unless anyone is looking at them/commenting on them. I work with little children so often they want to know what they are. Some of them think I have really bad teeth and loads of fillings so i have to explain. then they want to know if they'll get them. Some of them also want to touch them (shortly after pulling their fingers out of their nose) but thats more good sense than embarassment about my braces when i run!

The other day i went into a bar and got ID'd and the security wanted to see 3 types of ID because he thought my ID might be fake. It was really annoying because he kept looking at the picture on my IDs then at my teeth. It was odd because there were several people behind the bar with braces too who were obviously adults!

also my teeth have become more stained since braces (or i think so - no one else says they can see it) so I don't like smiling in pictures as much but logically I know with the changes that have already taken place my teeth are much better so i shouldnt be self concious at all!

[zdenka]

I am almost 5 months in (wow time flies) and at about 6/7 most of the time. I feel awkward most of the time but people around me are now used to them so it is getting a little better. I was definitely 10 the first three months and being single didn't help the matter either.

[AM21]

I'm a 1. When I first got braces, I was so excited that I wanted to show the world. lol

I really do love my braces, and just happy that they're not only changing my teeth but my personality. Not as introverted as I used to be.

Only time I'm self conscious about my braces is when food is stuck but that's about it.

[jem]

And does the country you live in make any difference? For example are we more self conscious about our braces in the UK?

[Angel269]

I don't hear about many adults in the UK with braces. Hubby's colleague got upper ceramics a week or two ago.

I used to be freaked out whenever I saw an adult with braces, or even a child-I think their appearance made me feel queasy as well as I felt uncomfortable about them seeing my awful teeth.

Probs about a 2 generally now (unless I have eaten-stuck food paranoia kicks in) was about an 8 or so. Don't like showing my teeth to family-braces aren't something any of them have had. I will feel better my diastema has closed (hopefully within next couple of weeks). Once these things are off, hopefully Jan/Feb I will not stop smiling