Rude things people have said to you

[Rickrolled]

Wow, there are some mean people out there! The worst thing said to me was probably “You can’t eat that!”

[assertives]

Looking back, people around me haven't really been rude or not nice to me about having braces. The one comment that a friend made that slightly affected me though was that it's abit of a waste of money. Well what did she know though, she had naturally straight teeth and a normal bite of cos she wouldn't understand what's it like.

[djspeece]

I got that comment about my age (early 60's at the time) and motivation to get braces, and I took to responding "Well, I want to have the nicest smile in the cemetery" which created a lot of confused looks on those dumb a$$es. I tried to look as innocent as possible, of course.

[tiffingirl]

I must be unlucky ...

My first 2 weeks of braces was horrible, sore mouth, aching teeth and lisping badly whilst trying to look professional as a relationship counselor. It was not a good look. My mother was totally unsympathetic and said something along the lines of: well your're just having it done for vanity so you deserve to suffer". She said it kind of humorously but I didn't find it very amusing. After she said that I just couldn't be bothered to go into the details of why I was having it done (deep bite issues etc) and anyway, even if it was "just for vanity" SO WHAT!??

A colleague at work asked to me the other day, aren't you worried someone might think you are drunk? Mmmmm .... no not until you just mentioned it - thank you very much.

Others have been politely curious and have told me either that they are thinking of getting braces and/or relating their own brace stories.

Not many people really care thankfully. And I don't worry so much anymore about what I look or sound like either. I am doing this for my own health and well-being and that's what matters. Hopefully I will be rewarded with much improved bite and smile at the end of it.

[Vega]

I never had negative comments, I think most people don’t notice my braces. Maybe in the beginning when my archwire was all over the place, but now nearing the end, it’s hard to notice them in a normal conversation.

I do had my share of comments before braces. I had massive crowding, a vampire tooth and my front teeth overlapped, big overbite, almost no chin.
Lower teeth weren’t in a arch but it was almost a square- shape.

I worked at a hotel, was watching tv and this guy comes up to my desk and starts watching the tv. Nothing weird, just following along. Without taking his eyes of the screen, he’s says to me:
Him: you had a lot of stress as a child
Me: uhm... what? Excuse me?
Him: yeah i see you have an underdeveloped chin, wich is caused by clenching your teeth at night
.... and he walked away
Thanks totally random stranger!
He just told it as a statement.. without explanation. So weird
I never knew i had a underdeveloped chin before he said that, it started to annoy me after that. He was right. But still a strange thing to say.

Another guy once told me I was perfect, except for my teeth, he couldn’t be with me because of my teeth.
It’s not that I had rotten teeth or something, i took good care of them.

I always had good confidence in myself and it didn’t get to me but i’ll always remember that.
I have nice teeth now, and a very supporting partner he knew me before braces. He thinks they are cute.

[tiffingirl]

Wow Vega, that is some rude dude who said that to you in the hotel. You sound as though you took it in your stride though.
It has all been worthwhile by the sound of it, good for you!!

[strinder]

I've not had any bad comments said to me. The only thing that really bugs me is when you're talking to someone about braces and they said "I've never thought there was anything wrong with you teeth".

I'm yet to work out how to reply politely that I didn't get my braces because of how they thought my teeth looked.

[LittleTooth]

The only comment about braces that felt a bit insulting came from an old lady asking me why I decided to have braces at this age and not when I was a teen. I felt insulted because some people might just not have the money to start treatment early. I was fortunate enough and had removable expanders twice, but I was just not complying with treatment.

The worst comment I've heard in my 33yrs of life came from one of the volunteers I train. Just a few months before getting braces and while she started working under me she told me without any consideration at all, that my teeth are very ugly. No one, not even my parents who were very concerned about my teeth ever told me I had ugly teeth. I wanted to cry.

[Jethro]

I was at a concert recently when a random woman approached my buddy and me and began talking about the bands that were playing. She then turned to me and said "I see you're finally doing something about your teeth". That should have been our clue to flee, but I politely tried to explain my relapse situation to which she blurted "Well, you have to wear retainers you know! Besides, I've never seen a man with a beard with braces before". We then fled.

[SCeles33]

I told a former coworker that I was getting braces and immediately she said "good for you" indicating that I needed them badly.

True, I did have a serious convex profile and I had a severe protrusion but I prefer a neutral and supportive response. regardless, yes I look better but I prefer people who sees the beauty in others with or without orthodontics.