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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you date someone with missing teeth?

258 replies

Claddinghell · 16/04/2022 20:07

Went on a date with a really nice guy. Ticked boxes and was attracted to him. However he had teeth missing. His top front tooth and few teeth towards the front. Very noticeable, but the cresting his teeth were white a like after. His pictures online had no pictures showing his teeth.

I told him a story of a tooth abscess during lockdown 1 when everything was closed. Told him that I had to get massive repair when everything opened. Thought this might provoke a conversation on his teeth. Sort of I had an accident they are getting fixed. But nothing.

My teeth are not the best and I do have a back tooth missing due to injury with a cherry pip and failed root canal.

Wouid you continue to date. It’s really noticeable

OP posts:
bellac11 · 16/04/2022 20:10

My OH lost a tooth when he was a child, his mother knocked out by mistake. He had some sort of fake tooth for years but now cant for some reason (cant remember), the need a few others removed in adulthood so has a plate/denture thing

Has to take it out when we go out to restaurants as he hates eating with it in.

gamerchick · 16/04/2022 20:11

Can't believe you tried to open a conversation about his teeth. Why do that? Poor bugger. Hopefully he didn't click.

You can not date someone for any reason though. It's something that bothers you. I wouldn't dare someone with a beard. We all have our thing.

Aquamarine1029 · 16/04/2022 20:12

Absolutely not. No way.

SouthernFashionista · 16/04/2022 20:12

Absolutely not. Just as easy to fall in love with a man with teeth than a man without. Grin
Seriously though, it’s not attractive. Doesn’t like he’s solvent either OP. I suspect you can do better.

GivenchyDahhling · 16/04/2022 20:13

Absolutely not. Total dealbreaker. You can get implants everywhere now for a few grand so no excuses.

Bunnybingesoneggs · 16/04/2022 20:13

My dh has the ones after his front 2 missing and a bottom one. He had a plate made but never wears it. He is self conscious about them and nags dc to brush theirs as his dps never did.. Didn't put me off but did slightly make me cringe. Then felt shallow!. Blush
Been together nearly 10 years so hasn't blotted our relationship!

DramaAlpaca · 16/04/2022 20:13

No. Shallow or not, no I wouldn't.

ScarlettDarling · 16/04/2022 20:14

No, I wouldn’t be attracted to someone with front teeth missing. But you say that you are attracted to him so surely it’s not a problem for you?

romdowa · 16/04/2022 20:15

My dp has a good few missing teeth from an accident. He's getting a plate made soon but never bothered in all the years since the accident

gemloving · 16/04/2022 20:15

Wouldn't be for me. If this happened to me, I would get implants - is this not a thing?

Yerroblemom1923 · 16/04/2022 20:15

No. Sounds a bit Jeremy Kyle to me. If he's really nice then maybe get to know him better and broach it properly but it would be a total ick factor thing for me.

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 16/04/2022 20:16

Implants aren't suitable in every circumstance, and some people just don't have the spare cash to get it done anyway.

Luredbyapomegranate · 16/04/2022 20:18

No, it’s odd not to have got them fixed.

Mossstitch · 16/04/2022 20:19

You can't get implants on the NHS and each tooth is £2,500😬

bellac11 · 16/04/2022 20:19

@gemloving

Wouldn't be for me. If this happened to me, I would get implants - is this not a thing?
Not everyone can get implants, even if they can afford them.

Seems theres a lot of ignorance about missing teeth

TerribleCustomerCervix · 16/04/2022 20:19

@gemloving

Wouldn't be for me. If this happened to me, I would get implants - is this not a thing?
An implant is about £2k, so not a cheap option.

I get what you mean OP- and I don’t think it’s shallow.

I’d be worried it’s an indication that he just doesn’t look after himself, and after a few months you’d be back on MN like one of those posters giving out that their DH only showers once a week, never washes his hands or brushes his teeth.

Lovemusic33 · 16/04/2022 20:20

I would depending on which teeth, I have teeth missing but not my front teeth so would kind of be hypocritical of me to not date someone because of missing teeth. Sadly not everyone can afford dentistry, I certainly can’t and can only access NHS (which is becoming harder). I did date someone with a missing front tooth and I kept thinking “if that was me I would save and pay to get a implant or denture” but I guess people have different priorities, I can’t afford to replace my back teeth that have been removed but if it was a front tooth I would find the money somehow.

Not everyone can afford implants, they cost £1000’s 😬

PonyPatter44 · 16/04/2022 20:22

An awful lot of rugby players have a tooth missing. Not everyone has "a few grand" lying around to get an implant. If you socialise with rugby players,you get used to men with missing teeth, broken noses and Cauliflower ears. Some of them are not attractive, some are. By itself, it wouldn't be enough to put me off, if he was funny and decent.

SirChenjins · 16/04/2022 20:25

It would put me off - I find it really unattractive and would make me wonder how well he looked after himself.

NervousInYorkshire · 16/04/2022 20:26

I'm diabetic, which means implants are 10x more likely to fail, and I also currently have gum disease.

Its a hell of a lot of money to gamble on, and it's unlikely that any dentist worth their salt would recommend them in my case anyway.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 16/04/2022 20:27

@GivenchyDahhling

Absolutely not. Total dealbreaker. You can get implants everywhere now for a few grand so no excuses.
Yes, we all have several grand lying around Hmm

It wouldn't bother me. DH doesn't have brilliant teeth and some are missing - I can't say I even notice it anymore. He's much more than his teeth (which he can't help - he has poor enamel) and I'm very glad I didn't decide not to date him based on that one minor thing.

GoadyToady · 16/04/2022 20:30

I walked out on a date with someone like this with misleading OLD pictures. So no, I wouldn’t date him.

Workyticket · 16/04/2022 20:31

Yup. Married one - he said he "wasn't a prolific teeth brusher" when he was younger.

He's had rhe shit ones pulled now, wears 2 sets of 4 false ones and takes really good care of the ones he has left.

nexus63 · 16/04/2022 20:31

i had to get all my top teeth removed when i was 18 so i have been wearing dentures for 40 years, i have now lost most of my bottom teeth, i would not let it bother me if i liked the person, you don't know why his teeth is like that and maybe like other people have said he does not have the money to fix them. you could ask them in future to smile and then decide if you want to date them.

lljkk · 16/04/2022 20:32

It can be a sign of poor self-care.
But it may be irrelevant to self-care.

I honestly think you should have just asked him straight out. Because it's not something to be ashamed about. Don't make it into something with stigma attached.

I just had a tooth fall out (how exciting). It was a baby tooth that should have exited 40 years ago. Not obvious, I'm glad to say.