My DH has a physical disability, it effects his whole body to varying degrees and I don't want to out myself more than I already have by saying what the disability is, he was essentially born with it and he's now in his 30's. It will not get better or worse.
The disability also effects his mouth, the way he talks and sometimes the way he eats.
Up until recently his disability and the way he looks has never seemed to bother him, he's in a very good job, he has very good friends and family and he will do anything for anyone.
Since the birth of our first child nearly two years ago DH has become very self concious, he's worried that our child will become bullied because of his disability and his teeth, he remembers how awful some children can be.
This is what I need help on as I think he's worrying needlessly, he has a missing tooth on his left side just off to the front on the bottom jaw. It was extracted a long time ago for reasons neither of us can remember and he was never offered or advised to get an implant or bridge, his dentist just left him to get on with it.
He's now developing body image issues in his 30's and he's worried that other teeth on the lower jaw will need to be removed as they have started moving due to the missing one.
I don't know how to help him, I know that negative thoughts can spiral and I am genuinely concerned about him. I've told him that his disabilty, the way he looks and his teeth have never bothered me (they haven't) and in a way it is one of the things that drew me to him, he gave no fucks and he never let his disability stop him from doing anything, he was very independent from his teens.
Nobody has ever commented on it either so I think now he's a father it has changed the way he views himself.
This is a bit of an essay so apologies if it's a bit jumbled.