How did people react to your braces

[sweetcynic]

Friends, family, coworkers, etc. - Just wondering. Also wonder if there's any difference by type of braces.

[TMJJill]

I'm in braces to fix a bad bite that caused TMJD. Some of my family didn't really understand why I got braces since my teeth were already pretty straight.

I told a couple friends in advance and they were supportive or joked with me.

Mostly, nobody actually noticed I had the braces. I was actually a bit disappointed because it was such a big deal for me and others didn't even realize it.

I have self-ligating braces with the top 10's clear. I have a metal wire though.

[Angel269]

Nobody has genuinely noticed my ceramic upper braces, especially as I have a tooth coloured archwire. Odd really even though the wire can be seen given my diastema. Good really that someone would have to be really close to notice as they are so discreet (can see a pic in my brace story).

If I meet up with a friend that doesn't know that I have them I feel comfortable enough to point them out.

I don't think people understand how much of a big deal this is to me-I will have confidence when I have nice teeth and I don't think you can put a price tag on that!

[xanidu2012]

Im a stay at home mom but my family members thought it was to have braces. I have metal upper and lower with red ligs on top and navy blue on bottom (July 4, 2012) . Several of my church members (teens/young adults) have braces and when I got mine they too thought . When I'm out and about they are conversation starters. So I'm really glad I got my braces. I've not received any negative comments.

[BraceFace2o1o]

Most family members said the same "you didn't need to get braces, your teeth were fine"... of course they weren't, they were crooked before! but they were just being kind. As time went by and they could see my teeth straighten right up the comments changed and they always say "wow look how straight your teeth are!".

Friends don't really say anything and didn't really even notice at first. I have never been one to smile with my teeth showing, I always kept my lips together (something I did to hide my crooked teeth)... I still do it now my teeth are straight.

[Sita]

I have ceramic uppers and metal lowers. At first the ceramics were not so obvious because of the positioning of my teeth but they are a bit more now that my teeth have moved. I also smile more. The metal lowers are, to my eyes, very visible especially now that they have brought some of my teeth forward.

Reactions...
Mum - I'm so glad you can finally do this.
Dad - They cost you HOW MUCH?!?! $6,000? I thought they would only be $2,000!!! Can't you get them cheaper elsewhere?
Brother - Don't those give you lots of cavities and make your teeth full out?
Aunt - I know exactly what you're going through as I have a partial denture, why just the other day I said to my friend that my gums were blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah....
Best friend - Haha! My cousin just got braces, but that's okay, he's 14. My reply? Meh, at least I (unlike you) still have all of my teeth to put braces on so to you. At that an unspoken truce was called and I have since then enjoyed both amusing and disgusting her with braces anecdotes and she has been sympathetic and supportive when I'm in pain.
Other friends - You can't eat popcorn! Nooooooooooo! You can't eat these chocolate coated almonds? Noooooooooooooo!!!! You can't eat that cake? Give it to me before I stab you with this fork!

I'm on disability and don't have a job but I do volunteer a few days a week at a community centre. Reactions have been varied.
"You must be almost done, your teeth are so straight!" (Only 2 months in at the time and straightening my teeth has never been the purpose of my having them)
"I had them when I was a kid, you'll love your new smile."
"You have braces! They look good on you." (Awwww, shucks )
"Braces? At your age? Hurrumph, they're waste of time at any age! All dentists are rip off artists! I haven't been to a dentist in more than 30 years and my teeth are fine. All they want is your money! Blah, blah, blah, blah, I hate dentists, blah!"

[EbonyQ]

Mom: How long are you going to have them? For 2 years?!!! Don’t you want to take them off?
Dad: they look like a torture device… It’s 2012, they must have found a better way to do this
Big sister: You look like a nerd *laughs*
Grandmother: how nice! You finally did it! Don’t be like your dad who did not want braces.
My family is a mocking family, so we never take each other serious

Young children have looking at my teeth in a strange way and said “what is on your teeth? Can I touch it?” Adults usually don’t care.

I work with orthodontics so braces at work are a good thing. My boss has never had braces and don’t know how it is, so I need to “teach” him about that