Braces , confidence, love life at 32

LegacyUser

Hi,

Going unreg for this because I wanted your opinions. I'm a 32 year old guy.

When I was young I was bullied badly about my teeth in school and secondary school. My teeth were never that 'bad' according to family and friends. I had what you might call vampire fangs that I sorta learned lived with lack of confidence in my smile and my physical appearance.
Maybe it's because other people used to slag me off about them I was always afraid to smile in photos. Typically I delete pictures of myself / untag pictures of myself where you can see my teeth. But they aren't that bad accept for the vampire fang thing at the side.

The crazy thing is I get quite a bit of attention at the moment from women (I'm told by my friends but like most people with low self confidence you tend not to notice it or want it even). Before I've even opened my mouth and i've been asked a few times if I model (which is crazy because when I open my mouth you could clearly see that I don't).

The thing is , my confidence hit a rock bottom all time low last year when my ex left me (it was a shock out of the blue). I was devastated. And since then among other things I've found myself noticing my teeth a lot again.
I have found it very hard to smile since she left and life got a bit on top of me if I'm honest. But I've decided that I am not going to wallow any more and I want to get my life back and turn things around. The ex engagement ring fund has now become my orthodontic fund.

I've put off getting this done in the past because of stupid reasons so now I am set to get the ceramic braces put on in a few weeks time.

Can I get brutal honest opinions please from the ladies and guys who have had these in their early 30's. I am getting the braces regardless. I just want to set my expectations right to begin with of what life will be like for the next 2 years. Right now I have it in my head that if I see a pretty, attractive girl and she is interested, then when I open my mouth it will kill her attraction in me a bit. Or worse yet she will be put off and run a mile. Am I absolutely destroying my love life getting these? Would it put you off kissing a guy with braces in his 30's? (invisalign and other invisible braces are not an option).

Thanks,

metal mouth.

mojesius

Hi OP, This is just my personal experience (had them in my 20s not 30s). I had BAD vampire fangs (as well as an underbite). I got called terrible names growing up - really knocked my confidence. I had braces for 4 years (top & bottom)

When you get the braces on at first, you may feel like people who know you are looking at your mouth more when you speak. You may feel instinctively like covering your mouth when you talk, laugh or smile. However, you will get used to the braces really quickly as will everyone else. You'll soon become less conscious of people looking at your mouth and they'll stop looking.

As far as the opposite sex goes, I know I was a bit younger when I had mine on than you will be, but in my experience, the braces were never really a hindrance (And I'm no Kate Moss). I actually felt more attractive to the opposite sex during this time, mainly because my confidence naturally improved.

I think this is because the braces become part of you very quickly and you stop thinking about them. Also, I liked the braces because they were covering and fixing the fangs which caused me to be self-conscious in the first place - You stop worrying about people seeing them. And you start thinking about how your teeth are gradually becoming straight and how each check-up at the orthodontist is a step closer to the braces coming off. I even started smiling with my mouth open with braces. Actually, when I got them off, I felt weird and lost for months, like my teeth and gums were too bare or something

All that being said, the end of a relationship is always going to knock your confidence and I'm sorry to hear what happened with your ex. Best of luck with them and I don't need to tell you that it is really worth it in the end

LegacyUser

HI OP,

Get the braces!! you will be delighted once they're off. I had them on when I was 18-20 years old. that's 10 years ago now. luckily my parents paid at the time. but if they hadn't I'd have done it myself once I started working! 2 friends have had them on recently, the whole thing is more advanced now, it's quicker, they have clear braces also, so you'd have to be standing close to the person to even notice them. One friend has her braces behind her teeth.

as for girls not wanting to kiss you?! Absolutely no way would it put me off. and I'm sure 99% of girls would say the same.

Sound Bite

Female, 30, brutually honest answer - wouldn't bother me in the slightest. Couldn't see it being an issue for any of my female friends either.

A friend of mine got her teeth fixed, had a braces from 26-28 - her love life never suffered.

Go for it, it will do your confidence a world of good.

LegacyUser

Hi Op

I think you should go for it.Im a 30yr old with braces only got them on this year, reason i was getting them was because i was suppose to be getting married and i wanted a straight smile on my big day ,my relationship ended but i still got the braces.
Its true at first you'll think everyone is looking at your teeth and you might have abit of a lisp from time to time, but trust me before you know it you won't care what people think.
It wouldn't put me of at all meeting a guy with braces (thats even before i had my own). Ive kissed a few guys since i got them & its been fine.
Best of Luck hope it all works out.

LegacyUser

Wouldn't bother me at all. In fact, whenever I see an adult with braces, I really admire them because I know it takes guts and confidence to get braces as an adult. You're doing something to improve your appearance and make yourself feel more confident, which is only a good thing. And that's speaking from someone who got braces last year - at 27! You feel self-conscious for the first week or two, and then you get used to them really quickly. I wouldn't say you forget they're there, but you're definitely less bothered by how you look.

Just wondering though - have you considered the 6-month braces treatment, instead of two years? It might be slightly more expensive, but they're the ones I got (ceramic, too) and I had results really quickly. In fact, I only had them on for 5 months in total and my teeth look great now! I also had prominent canines. In any case, good luck and well done!

tommyboy2222

I had braces during my late 20's / early 30's and it was no trouble at all wtr the love life.

I think your confidence is fairly low in general at the moment due to the break up and you are worrying unnecessarily.

EGAR

Friend of mine (late 30's) got braces and I never even looked twice at her mouth. She told me she never got so much male attention in her life since she's gotten the braces .

ennis81

Hi,
I am 30 approaching 31, have had braces for 2yrs for 1 vampire fang and to get my jaw widened, they are coming off now in about 6 weeks, honestly the best money i've ever spent:D my teeth are fab.
I was v paranoid about them for so long but to be honest no one really notices apart from me!! Defo no shortage of attention while I have been wearing them, very common alot of people wearing braces now, good luck look forward to having a beautiful smile;)

jimmycrackcorm

I've never once seen braces make a difference to anyone's appearance regardless of age. I think it is because braces are always associated with self improvement and so project a positive image.

stinkle

go for it! I had em as a kid but needed braces again at 25. You feel strange at the start cos your mouth is adjusting, but the modern ones are really quite discreet. I didn't get any negative reactions, most people were so so positive. And as another poster said, you actually start to like them, especially when the teeth start to straighten (which doesn't take very long!). You basically have lovely teeth then + braces on Since I got mine, a couple of mates have been inspired to get them too, and HONESTLY I barely notice them but always thought mine were super obvious just cos they felt that way. Once you get the braces you're stuck with them, so if you're determined then just take the big step - the sooner they're on the sooner they're off.

LegacyUser

Have you looked into the Inman aligner? I had the vampire thing too and got the inman. 3 months later all fixed! 2 years on I'm still thrilled. It isn't suitable for all cases (depends on which teeth need to move and how far) but it's soo quick and cheaper than traditional braces. mine cost e1700 incl. all check-ups and retainer at end. Also because it's a removeable thingy (kind of like a retainer you adjust and tighten as treatment progresses) you can leave it out for a day or a few hours if you've an interview/ big occasion on. My advice? Go for it, get them sorted however long it takes. Best money I ever spent.