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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if crooked teeth make a person unattractive

134 replies

User6555 · 18/03/2021 23:20

A friend and I were talking and I said about a man we work with being good looking. She said oh he would be if his teeth were straight. Aibu to think people are still be good looking with teeth that aren’t straight

OP posts:
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5
onemouseplace · 19/03/2021 09:14

@FireflyRainbow

I stupid refused braces as a teen as I thought I'd look like a geek and as a thumb sucking child I have horrible teeth now. I feel so much better in a mask.
Same - I had a plate which did something, but refused train tracks and I really, really regret it now.

The irony is that my teeth are actually very strong and in really good condition (I've never had a filling) - just crooked.

Jocasta2018 · 19/03/2021 09:15

I think it depends on the overall dental hygiene. If the person obviously looks after their teeth then it's not something I'm against. If the teeth are really stained, missing, and they have no plans to rectify this then total no go....
I will admit to being biased on this.
I had to go into dental hospital & have surgery to cut impacted wisdom teeth out of my jaw - the pre-op X-rays looked terrifying!
This means the perfect straight teeth of my early 20s have gone as my lower front teeth have been pushed a little out of line but it's not overly noticeable & my dentist has never suggested that I should get expensive adult braces but I do a lot of careful flossing! My upper teeth were not affected & the colour of both upper & lower teeth is good.
In my teens I visited family friends in the USA & the parents looked at my mouth & said 'how much did they cost you'.

Pyewackect · 19/03/2021 09:17

@Aquamarine1029

Like anything else, it's subjective.
Totally agree.
JorisBonson · 19/03/2021 09:18

I have a thing about crooked teeth, particularly Ricky Gervais' before he got them straightened.

DrSbaitso · 19/03/2021 09:19

I wasn't attractive when I had crooked teeth, but some people can get away with it.

CounsellorTroi · 19/03/2021 09:20

It really depends on the person but i tell you one thing i cannot bear that overly white, overly symmetrical full on "Turkey Teeth" veneers that are so popular now.
Id pick slightly crooked teeth any day.
As long as they are clean, fresh & dont smell then what they look like isnt a massive priority for me.

I agree with this. “Done” teeth can make people look quite bland - they take away individual character.

OutwiththeOutCrowd · 19/03/2021 09:20

Since I have rather crooked teeth myself, I don't feel I can 'judge' others for this.

I would be more concerned about someone with teeth that looked as if they weren't being maintained - mostly because I think it might indicate they'd given up on themselves a bit. If I liked them I'd be worried for them and want to encourage them to think they are worthy of a bit more self-care.

Norwaydidnthappen · 19/03/2021 09:23

I’m honestly not really bothered about teeth. It would bother me if they were all yellow, black, furry, smelly breath, missing front teeth etc but a bit crooked or weird doesn’t bother me at all.

My DH is hugely bothered by teeth though, it’s a massive deal to him.

Shortiemyboo · 19/03/2021 09:24

I think wonky teeth can be really attractive

theworldsbiggestcrocodile · 19/03/2021 09:28

I've got a big gap between my front teeth. I hate it. I used to be able to get away with it more but as I've got older it looks worse because the rest of my face also looks worse so doesn't distract from it as much. Don't think there is much that can be done about it now however. I'm increasingly conscious of it-I wonder if I can get some sort of implant or something?
I don't mind crooked teeth on other people (obvs)-in fact I don't really notice them.

Loveacheekysausage · 19/03/2021 09:28

Absolute deal breaker for me. Clean and nice looking teeth. They don’t have to be perfectly straight, but well maintained and clean.

I have an overwhelming reaction to bad teeth as I start to wretch! I’ve met people whose gums were disproportionate to their teeth (like baby teeth and gappy), plaque build up, bad breath etc. For me it’s just lack of self care and maintenance, but teeth hygiene is fundamental and should never be downgraded.

ThePlantsitter · 19/03/2021 09:34

You wretch at other people's teeth Loveacheekysausage?? That's really not an attractive look tbh.

DrSbaitso · 19/03/2021 09:35

@theworldsbiggestcrocodile

I've got a big gap between my front teeth. I hate it. I used to be able to get away with it more but as I've got older it looks worse because the rest of my face also looks worse so doesn't distract from it as much. Don't think there is much that can be done about it now however. I'm increasingly conscious of it-I wonder if I can get some sort of implant or something? I don't mind crooked teeth on other people (obvs)-in fact I don't really notice them.
If you're unhappy about it, you can get "invisible" braces and moulds and it's not at all unusual for older people to get them. You're not the only one who finds they get more self conscious about it with time.
SchrodingersImmigrant · 19/03/2021 09:36

As pps said. It's very subjective.

In my case it depends on how crooked and whether they are healthy.
It's like not finding bald person attractive or someone with auper long hair. Or short, or tall or fat or skinny....

Luckily for all of us we all like different things😁

babbaloushka · 19/03/2021 09:39

I actually really like crooked teeth. Adds character. I'm watching something on Netflix where the lead is stunning but her teeth are quite crooked.

Loveacheekysausage · 19/03/2021 09:39

@ThePlantsitter yep, it’s not a good look. I had an aunt whose teeth were terrible. So crooked that there was really brown/black plaque and always a smell. I used to spend some time in the loo composing myself as I really struggled.

TheVolturi · 19/03/2021 09:43

I think it depends tbh!
Totally bad teeth, discoloured and some visibly missing would most likely not look very attractive. But crooked teeth or a chipped tooth I wouldn't even notice. In fact I would rather someone with normal unperfect teeth than a set of veneers!

ThePlantsitter · 19/03/2021 09:51

@loveacheekysausage oh all right you've got my sympathy instead of condemnation now Grin

Lesssaideasymended · 19/03/2021 09:53

I like natural teeth. The only deal breaker for would be clean teeth

StripedLeopard · 19/03/2021 10:17

I quite like men who look a bit bashed up but crooked teeth would put me off massively. Just a personal preference

SpiderinaWingMirror · 19/03/2021 10:27

I've just spent 7k sorting out the terrible orthodontist I had in the 80s as a child.
It never impacted my self esteen tbf. But I am glad I had it done. Doesn't massively bother me in other people.

YonderTweek · 19/03/2021 11:22

I don't mind crooked teeth. I think if they're really stained and look like they've been neglected then yeah, it might put me off, but sort of naturally crooked wouldn't bother me. My teeth look really straight but the bottom teeth are a bit crooked but you can't really tell - I'm more miffed about my teeth not being as white as they were when I was younger, but I'm not so bothered that I would do something about it.

My DH has one front tooth that protrudes slightly and it really bothers him. I don't even notice it but he's looking to get it fixed because he's spent years agonising over it. I think this is fair enough if it makes him feel better about himself, but I'm not sure I would really notice the difference.

(Oh yeah I'm also from a country where they pin you down and fix your teeth whether you want it or not. Haha. I narrowly escaped but most of my friends had braces at some point or another.)

LaceyBetty · 19/03/2021 11:23

Attractiveness is subjective. I like straight teeth, some don't care.

Mxflamingnoravera · 19/03/2021 11:38

I totally agree re David Bowie, his whole face changed when he had his teeth done and became so much less attractive (to me) afterwards.

Shane McGowan on the other hand... (but he had no teeth).

Fireandflames666 · 19/03/2021 11:50

This annoys me greatly. I've learnt while growing up that it doesn't matter about how teeth look, we all loose them eventually anyway. Nothing worse than fake, horrible, overly white teeth though.