Invisalign - DH and family think I’m mad

[pinkelephantseverywhere]

Not sure what I’m hoping to get from this, I think I’m just trying to process my feelings!

I don’t have bad teeth - I definitely don’t think anyone would notice them in a negative way. However, the bottom ones are a bit crooked. The top ones are more or less straight but certainly not a Hollywood smile.

I mentioned to my dentist that I’d noticed the teeth weren’t straight and that the bottom ones seemed to be getting more crooked with age and she said I could think about Invisalign. I’ve been considering it quite seriously but my DH, parents and sister and have all been really weird about it which has surprised me!

They think I’m absolutely mad for considering it, saying I don’t even show my bottom teeth when I talk/smile (which is true) and that I’m chasing perfection when it isn’t needed. My sister has even said I’m showing my kids that I place too much emphasis on looks, which is a bit hurtful.

For context, my parents don’t have great teeth (both have quite crooked teeth). My DH and sister have fairly average teeth, not perfect but not crooked either.

I feel at a crossroads now, I was planning to go ahead with it but their strong reaction has really confused me and I’m not quite sure what to do. I’ve spoken to a couple of friends about it but they’ve been quite neutral i.e. they say they’ve always thought I had nice enough teeth but if it is bothering me then I should go for it.

If it upsets you - get them fixed. Who cares what other people think?

Well I did it in may 50's and wished I would not have waited.

My two front were starting to look a little over-lappy and I started to hate being in pictures. They were def getting worse and worse.

I only did the top-although bottom are a bit wonky I didn't think I'd cope with my awful gag reflex and wearing top and bottom.

I still sleep in a retainer and have a permanent brace behind top teeth.
DSis was inspired by me and did the same but she didn't get the permanent brace and felt her started to slip back so I def recommend it!

Go for it!

I don’t care what the man on the street thinks but these are the people who are closest to me in the world and I generally trust their opinions and advice…

(I do realise the irony of that when I’m asking for opinions on an anonymous internet forum!)

For me it comes down to cost really. If you have the cash ready go that’s not needed for anything else then it’s your choice so do it especially if it is causing you stress. But if the money could be better spent then I’d say no.

I agree with the chasing perfection comment too though. It’s too easy to get obsessed about trivial things. Would your DH, DCs love you more with even teeth? Of course not.

You might find something else ‘wrong’ with your face/body afterwards that you want to change too.

This is exactly it, and I think it’s a risk to be honest so I see where they are coming from. If I got my teeth fixed I wonder if my nose would then start to bother me more, etc…

I can afford it but then that money could also be spent on an amazing family holiday and maybe that’s a better choice for my kids.

It goes both ways though. If getting this done will help with your confidence etc,then it's wrong of them to make you feel bad about getting this done. They should be like "well if it's want you want and it's going to make you happy,go for it". Surely?

I also had a lot of reactions like this.
They are either people who are in a misguided way quite shocked you'd want to spend money on anpurely aesthetic thing and think their reassurance is going to make you feel better....
Or they are the type of person who thinks spending money on your appearance makes you 'shallow'
Or they are the type of person who thinks anything 'fancy' is 'silly' and you need to be put back in your box because they have a chip on their shoulder.

Ultimately OP, i have never regretted it.

It is okay to want something 'shallow'. Why is it okay to want a big flash house, a new car, a fancy holiday but its not okay to want nice teeth!

Practice a grey rock 'i appreciate your opinion as I know you love me, but it would make me feel better, it's non invasive, and it would make me feel good about myself, so I'm going to do it's

Your sister needs some basic education in teeth.... even minor misalignment that looks cosmetic to a non-dentist, can cause problems further down the road! It's teeth, you aren't getting a face-lift to look like a kardashian!

I had it done. People asked why, seemed sceptical. But my bite was a mess and that and my teeth were getting worse with age. I have absolutely zero regrets on having braces; it was one of the best things I’ve ever done!

I got them a year and a half ago and am nearly finished. Delighted already with the results. I'm 43.

Also, about the bottom teeth, our face drops a bit as we age and so our bottom teeth do become more prominent. Just look at any older/elderly person smiling and you'll see their bottom teeth.

Echoing the others with no regrets and most of the people who seemed surprised I was doing it (“nothing wrong with your teeth” etc - and like you, I didn’t feel like they were terrible but one in particular always bothered me) have since said it was a good decision and they look great. I got my braces off over a year ago and I haven’t found anything else to fixate on as imperfect since (though there is a lot to choose from!) - I should also mention that they still aren’t perfect like veneers - but they are much improved.

As a non-invasive procedure I think it is excellent - teeth naturally get wonkier as we age, also causing dental issues along the way. Reversing/preventing this through braces and retainers can make you look much younger - which may be vain but I don’t care, I am very happy. If you want to do it, go for it.

Your teeth, your choice. I had mine done and wish I’d done it years ago.

It’s that thing where if you make a choice that’s different to someone else’s, they take it as a judgement on their choice. It makes them worry and feel paranoid about whether they should get theirs done.