advise: dating prospect at the most inopportune time!

[colorpurple]

so i'm almost 27 years old, and have been single for over a year and some change. i decided to undergo this process (SARPE on 6/16 and braces on for 18mo) after a lot of reflection and resistance b/c i was concerned it would put a nail in the coffin of my sad dating life.

now that i'm 2 wks post sarpe and have a gap in my teeth, i still have my doubts. i get braces in august. the gap will be around for at least another month.

so here comes a long a guy who has expressed strong interest in me. i've known him for a yr so he knows me pre-SARPE gap. we actually kissed this past wkend. i like him! and i think he likes me. the thing is, i try very hard to not smile. i dont know if he's noticed my gap yet.

a part of me is so self conscious that i want to put it on hold until i feel more attractive. another part of me is so eager to entertain it now since it's been sooooo long.

what do u guys think? should i bring it up w/ him? should i avoid him until i feel comfortable w/ myself? this is such a curve ball.

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[jesspenguin]

You should definitely go for it! He obviously likes you for who you are, and you shouldn't give up the opportunity. I was in the same position as you, single for a year and a half before I got braces. I thought my dating days were over until I got them off, but a month later (with a missing tooth) I met my boyfriend, and we've been together ever since. The more you realize that other people don't care about/notice the imperfections that you see, the more comfortable you'll become with them. Just be yourself and smile

[hal2me]

Hi colorpurple,

Just go for it! When someone likes you, they like everything about you. Even your "imperfections". We are our own worst critic. When I told my husband I wanted to get braces, he asked why? He thought my teeth were fine, yet I did not.

Life is to short to pass up great opportunities. Just smile and go with it!

Keep us posted!!

[vjammiez]

I echo those who came before and say go for it!! Flash a great big smile and know that you look wonderful right now and will only get better looking as time goes on!

Good luck!

Spoken by a 33 year old who just started dating someone who loves my smile!
V

[Neptune]

The same thing happened to me when I first got braced. Prior to braces, I said to myself, "Alright, I can be single for another 2 years...it's not like I'm not already used to it." Then literally two months later, I met a really GREAT guy and we dated for several months. My braces were never an issue for us; he generally regarded them as another facet of weirdness that made up the entirety of me.

I hate to say it, but realizing that I could "get" a great guy while feeling so unattractive was really empowering to me. It really boosted my self-esteem, self-confidence, and (more importantly) helped me to realize through the evidence before me that OTHER PEOPLE DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR BRACES. It's the most challenging concept to comprehend, but it is SOOOOOO true.

[CCandy]

Yer don't let braces stand in the way of your personal life. I should take my own advice their but after I got braces people didn't care and still don't.

[Laura1985]

I heard this quote once and enjoyed it:

"He's got to put up with you at your worst to deserve you at your best."

Go for it!! People care about our braces and dental stuff so much less than we think!