Office reactions? Job interviews?

[anarchy45]

Hiya! I'm a 26yo guy living in NYC and I work as a computer engineer. In the week since I've gotten my upper braces on, nobody seems to have noticed them except the 2 friends I showed them to, and nobody else has said anything. So that leaves me wondering: how visible are they, do other people notice them, and what kinds of reactions might they have? I would love to hear what your experience has been and what reactions you have had - in daily life, with your kids/family, and especially at the office.

My back-story:

As a computer engineer, I work with a few others, and meet frequently with city government agencies who are our clients; just about everyone is at -least- 10 years older than me. Whether doing things around the office or meeting with clients, I need to be taken seriously... often-times, older folks don't like having some punk kid come in and start telling them how to do things. I am clean-cut and stick to a shirt and slacks, rather than the t-shirt and jeans that seem so popular within the tech industry. I can talk the talk and walk the walk and I speak authoritatively, and have never had any issues - but I wonder if having braces will diminish that by making me look like a teenager (I naturally look at least 5 years younger). I don't care what people's opinions are (I love to be `edgy` anyways, and braces are fairly common with adults these days), only how they react to me at work (I hide in my office all day with the door closed, so I don't see many people on a day-to-day basis). I am currently interviewing for new jobs, and have my first post-bracing interview this Friday - I really hope it doesn't diminish my chances by making me look like an inexperienced high-schooler :-S Other than these concerns, I don't mind having braces one bit

Sooo... what reactions have you gotten at work, at home, an by family? Has having braces impacted your career, or do you think it factored into any job interviews?

[Angel269]

I have ceramic uppers with a coated archwire. Alot of people genuinely have not noticed I have them, unless I have pointed them out.

I had a stained powerchain today and pointed it out to a friend and she didn't know I even had an upper brace anyway!

[OldBikerBag]

It's not that they don't notice. It's that they don't care. It doesn't affect others at all.

[midnight]

As said above, I don't think it matters to anyone else even if they do notice. I went for a job interview, had purple ligs at the time, I still got the job. Even when they knew I'd have to change my schedule or have days off for appointments it made no difference. I don't think anyone has every commented on my braces, the only conversations I've really had have been because of the surgery.

[missblu3]

I'm a 26 year-old nurse, and have the ceramic uppers and metal lowers on for a few weeks now. A coworker just noticed them on the other day, "I never knew you had braces, wow!" A lot of people think I only have the lowers - they don't notice the ceramics. Really, no one mentions it, unless I'm complaining about some new painful sensation, ha. It's true, no one else cares. Honestly, when I see other adults with braces, I just see that they are individuals who want to improve their appearance/bite. How can that ever translate into a negative when you see someone who is looking to improve themselves, in any way?

[Kipepeo]

I can talk the talk and walk the walk and I speak authoritatively, and have never had any issues - but I wonder if having braces will diminish that by making me look like a teenager (I naturally look at least 5 years younger).

Only if you let it.

[Ciara]

The office manager only noticed my braces last month but I got them in November. They really are not that noticeable. I do a lot of public speaking and was worried that everyone would notice and I'd be embarrassed. I've come to the conclusion that I was worrying needlessly.
I wouldn't worry too much about it and you will only look like a teenager if you think you do.

[MrsCharisma]

I'm almost 34 and work as a chemist at an engineering consulting firm. Lots of interaction with peers and customer. I think 2 people noticed my braces on their own, others I told.

Really, it's not a big deal. It's one of those things where we are FAR more aware of our own "issues" with ourselves than anyone else could ever be.

[klobird]

I'm 56 and no one says anything about my braces. Really, no one cares! And when I do bring it up, because it's so important to me, it's obviously just a boring subject. No one cares-- not in my world anyway.....

(21 months 4 weeks 2 days---REALLY?? Heavy sigh .....)

[plugnickel69]

Thirteen month in, I'm 65, and only one person in my professional or social life has ever mentioned my braces. That conversation was, "Oh, you got braces. Is this the second time?" "Yes." And that was the end of the discussion. I meet with large groups down to on-on-one situations. I often deal with legal issues. Nobody seems to care or even notice. I thought with elastics more people would take notice, but no. Nobody even stares. I often actually wish they would say something.

In truth, I think more adults than not could use orthodontic work. I believe that many of them look at those of us in braces and think they wished they had the courage to have this work done. And it does take courage to get braces as an adult.

Good luck to you. Think positive.

[margarets]

Just last week I met someone for the first time and later in our conversation I mentioned having braces, and she honestly had not noticed them. I actually had to show them to her. I had ceramics, but also a big old steel wire.

I got them off this morning and so far no one in my office has noticed.

So, you probably have nothing to worry about! People really don't pay that much attention.

[mehogeni]

To be honest, I can tell you how it has affected me personally.

I SMILE wayyyy more than I did before braces. Maybe because I feel like I'm on a path to recovery or because my metal braces give the appearance of better looking/straighter teeth than before? Before, I never smiled, was very embarrassed to do so and people considered me sort of moody/unapproachable at work because of it. It was even noted in my performance review though I do an excellent job for the company. I assist our sales team in our sales/marketing department so I always felt severely out of place among our sales/mktg team with perfect straight teeth. I felt like I looked like Gollum lol. So I think it's helping me to fit in more with my career and has increased my confidence.

[cbreeze]

I totally agree that it's mostly just your own reaction to them that can affect it. Some of my best friends didn't even notice until I pointed them out -- even after having a 20 minute conversation close to each other! I tended to point them out to everyone in the beginning, but now I'm realizing that I'M the one drawing attention to them -- other people aren't too concerned. I only got them on a month ago, so I am still worried about how it will impact my dating life - but we'll see!