u/Few_Tangerine1369

I (22F) got metal braces about two months ago and somehow I am still not used to the way they look on me. I feel ridiculously ugly, even after a full face of makeup and getting all dressed up, I feel like a clown putting on makeup. I’ve deleted all my dating apps and have stopped going out unless absolutely necessary. I have at least one more year of treatment remaining and I don’t know if I can manage like this. I was never all that pretty before braces but at least I never hated the way I looked. Some friends have made comments saying I look like a child and it was all in good fun but I can’t stop crying. I was told that no one would bat an eye at adult braces but I feel ridiculous. Please tell me if you have similar experiences to mine. Sorry for the long rant.

I hate how bulky my two front teeth are, I do have a slight overbite but even once that’s fixed, they’ll still be disproportionately larger than the adjacent teeth. Growing up, people always made comments here and there about my “horse” teeth and I guess now that I am finally on the journey to straightening my teeth, I want the end results to be perfect. I want to know whether you guys think it’s a better idea aesthetically to shave my front teeth, or whether to get bonding done to make the surrounding teeth slightly bigger. The thing is, the size of the adjacent teeth are fine and I’d rather not touch them, but shaving my two front teeth will not fix the problem alone. I’m feeling despondent and I feel like I’ll be unhappy even after my treatment unless I get my desired results. I’d appreciate any insight you may be able to offer. Thanks in advance.

braces are destroying my mental health and self-confidence