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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to just really wish I could smile?

43 replies

legolegolego · 25/08/2015 23:57

I have horrible teeth. I hate opening my mouth. I'm on the road to getting them healthier but they still look shit, just with pink gums instead of red

People keep commenting about how self conscious I am, and how much I hide my mouth with my hands. It's made me realise that I've never felt comfortable enough to just smile

Any miraculous teeth makeover stories to give me some hope?!

OP posts:

DisappointedOne · 26/08/2015 00:17

My sister was the same. She spent about 2 years and I dread to think how many £££s getting them fixed in her late 20s. They're gorgeous now so she's moved on to Botox and she has so much more confidence.

HippyDippyRidingPretty · 26/08/2015 08:20

My teeth used to be horrendous due to medication ruining them throughout my youth. I had veneers placed on my top six teeth and for the first time in my life I smile in pictures and don't hide my mouth. The confidence it has given me is amazing. They are fooking expensive but for me they have been totally worth it.

Original poster

legolegolego · 26/08/2015 09:05

I think veneers will probably have to be the way to go for me too. I'm going to have a period where they look even worse than they do now and I'm dreading it. Although I know it needs to be done, I know it's going to plummet my confidence even further :(

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MaidOfStars · 26/08/2015 09:24

I had my teeth fixed as an adult (braces, bleaching). It made a massive difference. And I mind photographs less!

Go for it. Short term pain for long term gain!

KateSpade · 26/08/2015 09:45

I think I might be in a similar position of needing my teeth 'done' - too many fizzy drinks.

Do you mind me asking how much you paid Hippy

isupposeitsverynice · 26/08/2015 09:55

There are NO photos of my mum smiling properly, up until she was mid-thirties and had her front teeth veneered. Since then there are oodles of pictures of her with big toothy grins (in a nice way!) and now she even sends me selfies of herself gurning away. I think you will find the upswing in confidence once it's all done well worth it. Good luck. It's hard not to be self-conscious about teeth when they're right there in the middle of your face.

PurpleWithRed · 26/08/2015 09:57

Me. Had two terrible front teeth, appallingly badly crowned in the mid 70s. Didn't show my teeth in photos, ever. Spent part of my divorce settlement having them redone in 2008 and it transformed my life!

Go for it.

Original poster

legolegolego · 26/08/2015 11:30

isuppose that's kind of what I'm afraid of. I won't let anyone take photos of me and when I tell people about the crazy trends I went through as a teen, I really wish I had photographic evidence as memories! There are no photos of my mum until she had me, so I have no idea what she looked like between age 10 and 30, and I hate the thought that my future kids won't have pictures of me.

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HippyDippyRidingPretty · 26/08/2015 11:32

kate just under £5000

But it really has been worth every penny.

isupposeitsverynice · 26/08/2015 12:00

Ah well then, quick, do it now before you have the kids, so that you can show off your lovely smile in all the brand new baby pictures. Honestly with my mum the difference was instant, she came home from the dentist beaming away, teeth everywhere, it was lovely to see her confidence shoot up like that.

CalmYourselfTubbs · 26/08/2015 12:37

YANBU.
having bad teeth is hard.
but you're on the way to much nicer teeth and it'll be well worth it in the end.
you're making a very valuable investment so just think of how happy you'll be when its all done. it'll be over before you know it.

fecketyfeck · 26/08/2015 12:51

I wish I could smile properly too, unfortunately for me it's more to do with the fact that I have a pretty big underbite (bottom teeth sit in front of top teeth) and when I smile with my mouth open its my bottom teeth that show more than my top. I would love to have a nice open mouth smile but I don't think it's ever going to happen for me

Original poster

legolegolego · 26/08/2015 13:25

The things that's holding me back at the moment is knowing they are going to look even worse for a while, while we sort out the next steps. I have currently convinced myself that no one notices them anymore because they're used to them, and if they get worse then I will have to explain/have attention focused on my mouth again. It's so hard!

OP posts:

Spickle · 26/08/2015 13:45

I spent years being self-conscious about my uneven yellow teeth until I finally got a dentist who I found I could talk to and would listen to me. My dentist didn't do orthodontic work but recommended a friend of his at another practice. I had braces top and bottom and then got the bleaching trays to whiten my teeth. Yes, my teeth were worse before they got better and I felt silly wearing the braces at the grand old age of 48 but, oh my god, it was worth it!! Honestly, I don't think I've stopped smiling since and have had so many compliments from friends and strangers alike. Can't believe that was over 5 years ago now. My teeth do occasionally need a "whitening" top up but I do like a cup of tea which does stain.

My advice - just go for it, you won't regret it and it will give you buckets of confidence!

NuggetofPurestGreen · 26/08/2015 13:59

I spend €3k on mine last year. So worth it. Root canal veneers crowns and whitening. Wish I'd done it years ago!

Original poster

legolegolego · 26/08/2015 14:01

Oh wow nugget your smile is beautiful now. My teeth are way worse than your 'before' :(

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Daffydil · 26/08/2015 14:05

I have a massive dental phobia and my teeth were awful, due to a combination of bad orthodontic work, neglect and never going to the dentist. Like you I rarely smiled, not with my mouth open, and often covered my mouth with my hand when talking.

I discovered an excellent practise who offered free nlp coaching (alongside extremely expensive dentistry :weep:) and a year or so ago started on the long road to getting them sorted.

I've got veneers on the front 6 teeth, and the difference is remarkable. I'm so much more confident about smiling in photos and talking to people now.

Original poster

legolegolego · 26/08/2015 14:10

I've never heard of nlp coaching, I wish I had! I used to be terrified of the dentist but I've forced myself to go and I've finally found a dentist who gets me and we work well together.

For those with veneers, how long was the whole process? I've had all the work done to make the health of my teeth better now, and next I need old/bad stuff taken off my teeth and replaced with something else when we see what my teeth are like underneath. I'm imagining I'll be wandering around with no front teeth for 6 months...

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Daffydil · 26/08/2015 14:14

I think I had three appointments. 2-3 weeks apart each time. At each appt he did 2 teeth, from start to finish.

So I looked a bit uneven for a while.

But it depends on the type of veneer. I had composite ones, which he built up on the spot. I think porcelain ones have to be done in the lab, so you'll need a temporary one while they are being made, then go back for a fitting, like having a crown.

NuggetofPurestGreen · 26/08/2015 14:17

Yeah I think mine took three or four weeks but I had temporary crowns in the interim. Wasn't too long anyway.

Pickedmypoison · 26/08/2015 14:17

I had two veneers and whitened the rest of my teeth. it has made an amazing difference.

NuggetofPurestGreen · 26/08/2015 14:17

Porcelain for me.

IceBeing · 26/08/2015 14:18

I've realised reading this that I don't smile on photos for a similar reason...maybe I should look into this too...

Pickedmypoison · 26/08/2015 14:19

I had to go to a wedding after my teeth were filed down but before my veneers were fixed. I just did lots of closed mouth smiling and got away with it.

Original poster

legolegolego · 26/08/2015 14:19

Ah okay, that's not too long at all! So with the composite, you didn't have temporary crowns in the mean time? Am I right in thinking porcelain are more expensive?

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