Metal braces soon and starting new job...

[uga]

I'm worried to be honest. I'm +40y male. I had a lot of appointments with dentists / periodontists ... and finally met the orthodontist.
We came to the conclusion I'll have to start wearing metal braces for +/- 1 year.

Almost at the same moment they will put the brackets on my teeth, I will start working at my new job. I passed the interview without braces and soon I'll start my job with braces...
I'm wondering what the reaction of my new employer will be? I'm pretty self-conscious about it especially because I'm a male. I don't often see male persons (+40) wearing metal braces these days.
So I'm worried now :( Should I postpone the treatment for let's say 6 months to get used to my new job?
Anyone here that experienced same situation?

[djspeece]

Congrats on making the move! My first thought is that very few people care (or even notice) that you have braces. People at your job site will be thinking "Did he have braces at the interview?" but not really care. I am a guy and was in my 60s when I got braces, and needless to say I was the only guy in the building with braces. You think everyone is looking at you, but they are not. It's not as though braces have any negative impact on your ability to do most jobs. The worst thing you can do is to try to hide them (e.g., covering your mouth with your hands, trying to suppress a smile or laugh) because that's the sort of thing that people will notice! Just act as if everything is normal, and it will be. I was a project manager and had a lot of face time with customers and senior executives and it was never an issue. It's important to be who you are so your new colleagues can get to know the "real" you. Most people just don't care about your braces.I had to bite my tongue not to complain about the sore mouth you will have for a couple of weeks, no one wants to hear about that either . You may have to pay more attention to your enunciation and practice a little, but that is a minor issue if you just take your time. Sometimes I am a "fast talker" and that can be problematic when adjusting to braces.
A few people may be considering braces for themselves and may ask questions. I used to keep answers short, like "I got braces to correct a few functional issues with my bite" since I did not have a lot of cosmetic issues to correct. Once in a while I'd get some snarky sort of inquiry along the lines of "You're pretty old for braces, aren't you?" to which I replied with a straight face, "Well, I wanted to have the nicest smile in the cemetery" and smiled. That confused them and ended the conversation.
Don't postpone, just jump in. The sooner you start the sooner you end!
Best of luck to you.

PS Not only do people not notice you have braces, they won't notice when they are removed! That was a shock to me! I felt like shouting "People I have had these braces for three years and now they are off and you don't even notice this beautiful smile? For real.

[jem]

Great advice from Dan. I was 57 when I got mine and worked as a lawyer. I was very apprehensive but it was not a problem. Good luck with your treatment and keep smiling!

[EricRoyalOak]

Agreed. No one will notice you have them or comment on them. No one will notice when you get them removed.
Well, they may notice each time, but may not say anything. I say get them, and don't worry.

I got mine when I was 51. They were metal and I picked the brightest color ties. I never shied away from showing them when I talked or smiled, and it all went well.

[Lissalissak]

I’d just go for it. They may be surprised by it but there’s no shame in having braces, and soon enough everyone will be used to it. Maybe wait a month into starting the new job to do it. Good luck!

[r1r1r12000]

Go for it!
I was 35 when I got metal braces while working in a professional job. I was initially self-conscious as well. Nobody cared. The only comments I ever had in 3 years of wearing braces were either supportive or were questions from people interested in getting braces themselves.

[uga]

Just wondering... Were those brackets and wired visible while talking?
I was looking in the mirror yesterday. And came to the conclusion that my bottom row is pretty visible while talking. When I'm talking enthousiastic or laugh my top row is also very very visible.
I'm very conscious about it and can't imagine people won't notice. For sure they will will notice.

[djspeece]

Just wondering... Were those brackets and wired visible while talking?
I was looking in the mirror yesterday. And came to the conclusion that my bottom row is pretty visible while talking. When I'm talking enthousiastic or laugh my top row is also very very visible.
I'm very conscious about it and can't imagine people won't notice. For sure they will will notice.

Yes, they are visible, and the more you try to hide them the more visible they are, it seems! The good news is that many, if not the overwhelming majority will not notice, and if they do they really don't care. I know it's hard to imagine right now but trust me. How little do they notice? Well, I had braces for three long years, and when they finally came off not one person on my team (I was the project leader) noticed or commented! Just be yourself. And best of luck to you.

[Hollywoodsmile]

I got them after 2 mo ths of starting a new job I almost got offended when no one noticed or said anything only my direct boss realized but the rest thought I had them before.
I'm in the Real Estate Industry, I am the General Manager and I am constantly performing on stages, I has never been an issue.

The other day a Co worker came into the office and we offered him nuts, he said "sorry I cant, I've got braces"... booom! Then I realized how I never noticed and he was on his 7th month.

If I were to analyze, I would give an extra star to whoever has a beautiful well kept smile and whoever is improving it as well.

[djspeece]

I got them after 2 mo ths of starting a new job I almost got offended when no one noticed or said anything only my direct boss realized but the rest thought I had them before.
I'm in the Real Estate Industry, I am the General Manager and I am constantly performing on stages, I has never been an issue.

The other day a Co worker came into the office and we offered him nuts, he said "sorry I cant, I've got braces"... booom! Then I realized how I never noticed and he was on his 7th month.

If I were to analyze, I would give an extra star to whoever has a beautiful well kept smile and whoever is improving it as well.

Great answer!

[Danielle]

I’m sure you've made your decision by now… but my take would be to get them before or as early into a new job as possible. While most people probably won’t even notice or notice enough to comment, even fewer will give a little metal flash a thought if they’ve met you recently. To me it’s always been harder to make an appearance change around people I’ve know for years. But in any event, a few “hey you got braces!” comments are far easier to deal with than “why don’t you get braces?” questions.

[Humdan]

I think it's best to go ahead with treatment as your colleagues who have never seen you will just get used to them. It's easier to begin with then later!