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I'm having fixed braces fitted next month. I'm a 25 year old male living in the UK. The braces are due to a noticable overbite. I've decided to get the work done as I'm getting free on the NHS.
I'm quite self-concious (mailnly because of my team) and quiet but have quite a lot of friends. Obviously the closer ones will know I'm getting braces and won't be suprised but what will the other lots reaction be... will they not mention them or ask me about them - what have peoples on here experinces been?
I'm particulary concerend about first day at work with braces on. Can i expect people to ask me about them?
Especially interetsed to hear from adults in the UK because from reading this board it seems adult braces in America are relatively common.
We are in the same boat here. I am thinking about having mine done and I was feeling quite apprehensive about what people at work will think so I told everyone I am having it done. And the reaction? Quite funny, actually. Couple of my colleagues took a metal paperclip, straightened it, put it on their top teeth and walked around the office laughing their heads off. I thought it was quite funny, actually. Truth is - nobody really cares. Would you care if one of your colleagues was having it done? I wouldn't. Good luck!
I am an adult in the Uk and I got my braces about a month and a half ago. I am 24 with full metals on top, and soon to be bottom. I have found that most people don't really notice it at work or University, or if they do then they don't mention it. The only time people really say something is when they wish they had done/ are thinking of taking the same step.
When I am out I don't have any problems and find that people are really positive. The only problem I have is that I get Id'd alot, but I always did quite often anyway!!
If you want to do it I would definately recommend getting the braces. Since getting used to them and over extractions etc I am quite attached to them and smile a lot more than ever before!!
I've found that people really aren't bothered. The first week it was all I could talk about with everyone I knew (everyone must have been sick of me talking about it!) and i got some really positive comments. A few people said they didn't even notice I had it (although I'm not so sure about that with it being metal on uppers and lowers).
Anyway, I think it's a big a deal as you make it. If you don't mention it to anyone, no-one notices or comments.
The thing I was most worried about was my first trip to the pub on a Friday night.....it was totally fine - all the regular people were in there and no one said a word - I don't think many people noticed.
The first week I was really self conscious as I couldn't speak properly.....it's amazing how you get used to it. It's like I've always had them now.
There are more people in the UK with braces than you'd think (see my post 'UK people - do braces exist past 26?) from a few weeks ago
I think you are making the right decision - GOOD LUCK AVFC_UK!!
You will find that most people wont notice or wont say anything.
For my benifit before my braces went on i made sure i told most my mates and work colleques,so that way it wasnt a shock to them when i got them on and when they went on all i got was postive comments.
I work in the restaurant trade and my braces are on show 8-10 hours a day and ok i get the odd customer ask me about them but most wont even notice.
I all so think its better to show your braces than to try and hide them again when mine 1st went on i tried talking under my braces thats when my mates and manager just said smile and show them.
Hello! So far, my friends and coworkers usually point it out and just ask general questions about them. I've told some, so they pretty much acted as if I always had them. The other day I was talking to one of my coworkers who didn't know and he didn't notice for awhile, but then I kept smiling big and laughing so it was, of course, asked about again. At first I didn't want people staring at it, so I hid it...but now I really like them and smile even more than before. Maybe it's like a way of letting people know ahead of time, so they're not too surprised by it: show it off! I DO notice that sometimes people just don't look at you once they notice, which I find very weird. It is really not that scary, so don't really know what the problem is. Maybe they don't want to make it obvious that "Yes, i did notice you have braces", so they're looking away??? hmmm
Either way, the reaction wasn't as bad as I expected...quite positive in fact!
-Noone can make you feel inferior without your consent-
hiya i was actually pretty forthright with my boss and told him about my plans even when i was just in the consultation phase. wasn't a big deal with him, he just nonchalantly asked questions about it, but not really in a probing way.
he took care of telling the rest of my team about it, and none of them make it a big deal, really. my regular lunch buddy even considers my current state, so we've been going to soup-friendly places so far
Hey AVFC_UK, welcome to the club!
I'm 27 and from Aus, had braces for a few months now. I didn't really think about other people's reactions til after I got braces on. My first day at work I was pretty nervous and didn't want to open my mouth at all (bit hard when my job involves talking for 12 hours straight! ).
I notice people noticing, but more often than not they don't say anything. Like LucyLoop said, I think some people are more embarrassed than me! Not that I'm embarrassed, but felt a bit funny about it, mostly cos my teeth were pretty straight to begin with; it's my bite that's not so good. No one really noticed the overjet or worn teeth that prompted me to get braces (except me and the dentist) so they're usually a bit surprised to find I got them. It's kinda weird that orthodontic treatment is something you do for yourself, but it so public. There's a good thread about people's reactions to braced adults you might wanna check out.
Good luck with your treatment!
I lived in the UK for a few years and loved it. SPL though; Celtic Fan - Carn the hoops!
I'm in the UK aswell. Having ceramic braces fitted next Thursday.
Been to the Dentist this morning and had 4 teeth extracted in one go.. Still a bit numb. Taken some painkillers. Brought my teeth home as souvenirs!!
They were all healthy teeth, but I suffer from overcrowding made worse as my wisdom teeth have come through.
I'm a bit concerned about having the brace on and the comments I will receive, but my dentist said it will be nothing compared to how my teeth will look when its over and done with.
I'm a really outgoing happy person, although I always look moody because I never smile because of my teeth.. I'm really hoping that this treatment will give me the confidence to smile back at people!
I've taken before pictures. And will take them during my treathment!
Hi, I'm another UK braced person. I'm 34 and I've been wearing braces for 2 years, 1 month and 4 days now and didn't get any specific reactions when I first had them fitted. I told my immediate colleagues and close friends and everyone was very positive. I regularly have meetings with government Ministers and pretty senior people in the public sector and to be honest they just don't care, they are more interested in what I have to say.
I felt very self-conscious in the first week mainly because they felt uncomfortable and alien but once that wore off it wasn't a problem. I also felt very self-conscious when I was heavily pregnant and wearing braces, but I think that was a hormone induced thing - and the fact that I was waddling like a duck:)
The only people that are interested nowadays are my ortho and 7 month old son who keeps shuvving his hands in my mouth to have a feel:)
I'll tell you what my friend, you will potentially be wearing braces for say a year, two or even three. but you are 25. it'll be something that you will be so glad you did! i'm 21 and i ahd mine done in august. i was a little nervous at first but then i thought...you know what i dont give a monkeys what anyone thinks. some people might stare or ask questions and your friends might initially give oyu some unwanted attention but then they'll get bored of it and get used to you with a metal mouth. it's all good. i wish you the best of luck on your road to straighter teeth!
The only people who have noticed (or mentioned) my braces have been other adults who have/had braces or a few people who wish they had them.
One person who was not in either of those categories (a friend's mother) said something to me and she just told me that my teeth looked beautiful.
Other people's (possible) reactions is what kept me from getting my teeth fixed before I was 42....As so many have said above, any hang ups seem to be in our own heads.
Love your story, Duffle, about the only people interrested any more are your ortho and your 7 month old. It's almost the same for me, my ortho and my 11 year old (who just got braces but she's growing tired of me now )
I'm not in the UK, but I was really nervous about my first day at work too. What I encountered was a number of people looking at my mouth and not saying anything, which sort of drove me nuts.
Obviously commenting on someone's appearance is a sensitive subject and people aren't sure if they should say something or not. I realized this is just their way of being polite, so I usually said something like "oh ya, I have braces", just to get it over with. It was interesting to them for about 5 seconds and then they could care less.
The only people who really talked about them to me were people who had braces previously or had been told they needed them. No one had a negative or "rude" reaction (other than the mouth staring).
Damon 3s. On 2/15/2006. Off 2/21/2007!
Essix on uppers, Hawley on lowers.
I had to literally point mine out to people to explain why I couldn't eat something or why my voice was a little lispy (which soon wore off).
The only comment I've ever got really was since getting pink ligs (I got fed up with clear, I no longer care less if people see my braces or not) a new colleague joked that they were "distracting" when I spoke. It was very much meant in jest and he didn't mean they were badly distracting, just that he noticed these bright pink bits when I spoke. I was wearing a pink top that day so it probably enhanced things.
Yes I am a Aston Villa fan, I'm actually thinking of getting claret and blue
ligs. (only joking of course!)
To be honest I've been thinking of not going ahead with it. My mentality being I'm 25, single and go out a lot. As I'm not going to get my braces off until I am 28, I think I could have them done when I'm in my early thirties. At this age I would expect to be going out and 'pulling' (or not as the case maybe) less, and my social groups to be more mature in accepting my braces. Basically thinking that braces will be a easier experience in my 30's as opposed to 20's.
However, reading these replies as made me think again. Maybe I'm being to paranoid here. Also added complication of having jaw surgery half-way through with I should imagine is going to proof pretty stressful (3 weeks of work)
Judgement day is 18th of April when I have to have two teeth pulled out to make room.
i was actually pretty forthright with my boss and told him about my plans even when i was just in the consultation phase. wasn't a big deal with him, he just nonchalantly asked questions about it, but not really in a probing way. 
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