Fix it or flaunt it?

[blas]

I hate quoting Tyra Banks, but she's had a few shows featuring guests who have certain flaws about themselves, and the burning question is......do we fix it, or do we flaunt it?

I have always had a very small gap between my front two bottom teeth. Since it's on the bottom, most people don't even notice it. A lot of people don't even know I have it until I open my mouth wide or laugh really hard and you can see it. Most people say it's no big deal and it's not that bad.

So here's the burning question....now that I have the money, should I get a procedure done on my teeth to "fill in" the gap? I'm sure you guys have heard of it. It's relatively inexpensive and lasts a long time.

But at the same time, I don't want to risk it looking funny...I don't want Hillary Duff horse teeth. What if they end up looking larger than the rest?

But on the other hand...while my gap may not bother anyone else and some people may even call it "cute", it's always bothered me. I don't like it. I have practiced smiling before so that you cannot see it all and practiced moving my mouth when I talk so that it won't show......

But then on the OTHER hand....look at how many celebrities have some funky teeth and all the money in the world, and still have left their teeth alone...Madonna has a gap on her top teeth, Jewel and Kirsten Dunst both have crooked teeth....and no one has ever liked them any less or made anything big of it.

What do you guys think? And to keep this thread going, what are some things you guys ask yourself "Should I fix it or flaunt it?"

[Liminality]

Well, you could sit down and write the pros and cons of your decision because no matter what we say it's gonna be your choice in the end.

I've never liked my nose and when I can afford it I will get a rhinoplastry, even if it's a decade from now.

[sportsmom]

Here's the way I look at such things, if it has a negative impact on your self-esteem, then you should fix it, if you don't care, then you should leave it.

Whether or not other people see it, or think it is noticeable is beyond the point. If you know it is there and it bothers you, it is still going to bother you no matter what others say.

[Seshat]

Is it affecting your bite, your speech, or your use of your mouth? If so, then it's a definite 'yes, talk to a dentist, find out what the risks/probable benefits are, make your decision'.

If it's solely an appearance issue, then it really is going to depend on how you, personally, feel.

One good trick I use on things like this: what else could you use the money on?

If you realise that you'd really prefer to have the car properly fixed, or go on a wonderful vacation, or pay off a debt, or make a down payment on a house - well, your question is answered, isn't it?

So if it's solely an appearance thing and you'd prefer to do it than to spend the money on anything else, then you can sit down and work out the risks and benefits, talk to a dentist, and so on.

And yes, you're absolutely right: 90% of people never even notice it, and 90% of those who do notice it, don't care. And 90% of the people who notice and care think it's appealing.

The only person fixing it will affect is you.

[blas]

It's never affected my bite or anything like that. The gap is a result from when I was a child, I had those two front teeth pulled (funny thing was, there was no gap with the baby teeth). I don't remember the reason, I'd have to call my mother and ask.

[TNT]

I've a problem with my teeth. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I have a tooth on the top that's slightly rotated and overlaps another tooth just a little bit. The problem is too much tooth in too narrow of a space.

The tooth badly needs crowned (one of these days, it's going to disintegrate because of so many fillings and a root canal). The dentist says the crown will fix the "problem." I'm not so sure it's a problem, though... I kind of like the way it looks. Maybe I'm just used to it because it's always been that way, but I think it adds character.

[Saydrah]

If you fix this cosmetic flaw, will you feel the need to fix the other flaws you acquire as you age, like wrinkles and saggy boobs?

Will it make you feel like the things that make you unique are there to be changed?

Or will it just be a self esteem booster, one time thing, and you'll start smiling big in photos again?

I personally don't think the risks of anesthesia are worth it for any purely cosmetic procedure; however, dentistry doesn't require general anesthesia in most cases, so I'm torn on this one. Talk to a dentist about the risks to your health.

[ArenaBoy]

Unless this is injuring you in some way, all I'm going to say is: Smile like you've got nothing to prove.

[unholypet]

If thats your only worry, I say keep it. When you get older, your bone structure will change and you may see it close up. You may be punched in the face and it work to your favor =p

If it affects nothing other than your self-esteem, and its bad enough you constantly try to hide it on a day-to-day basis, go for it (if you can afford it). Your happiness in one small area is worth more than the wrinkles of holding your face a certain way XD


My flaw/flaunt: I love my nose. Between the nostrils, the cartilage that serves as a separator has a small downward bump to it. Its noticable if you look at it, and does nothing more than give me a strange profile.

My boyfriend loves it, I've something obviously inherited from my Dad, and its got really soft skin. /rubs nose =p

TNT? I've a problem with my teeth. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I have a tooth on the top that's slightly rotated and overlaps another tooth just a little bit. The problem is too much tooth in too narrow of a space.

I had that, too! When in 6th grade, my teeth were a bit worse. The crowded space had caused sixteen of my teeth to rotate, and the dentists I saw and checked with all told me if I didn't get it fixed now, I'd regret the painful surgery in teenage years that I'd need. My teeth's roots were so twisted and long, they started to injure my sinus cavity x_X

Six years, eight months, one week, and four days of braces fixed everything. My high tolerance for pain helped me into it, though.

If its not affecting your body, I say keep it. They'd have to use a very painful device called a Snodgras to widen your jaw. Think of reverse clamps in your mouth >_<

[Sylvia727]

My teeth do that overlap thing, and my orthodontist insisted that I get braces to correct it. I said "No way in hell." I run my tongue over my teeth frequently, and it would bother me to get it changed. So think about how many times you notice this gap in one day. Would you stop noticing after the dentistry? Would you relax and be more self-confidant? Than it may be worth it to you. Figure out how much it bothers you. And ask an orthodontist about the "horse teeth" thing, they'll know what's what.

My fix it or flaunt it: cleavage. I normally don't show any at all, so a shirt that's the least bit exposing makes me feel trashy, even if the mirror assures me that I'm sexy. I compromise: if I'm feeling like a million bucks, then I wear the low-cut shirt and every time I think about how naked I feel (about every ten seconds at first) I tell myself "I look great, and everybody here knows it." Sure, I'm lying to myself, but after a while I loosen up and enjoy myself, and that's when I really do start to feel sexy instead of trashy. If I don't think I can convincingly lie to myself that long, then I wear something different. Not the end of the world.

[BlaqueKatt]

I have the "Kirsten Dunst" fangs(even though I had them first-I'm older)-it used to bother me but I really don't care much anymore.

[Argabarga]

I've never been in favor of cosmetic surgery unless it's for particularly egregeious things like an injury that's left a pretty big scar or cost you part of your dental plate, but for more minor things (and I know they aren't minor to the person who they bother) I do agree that the very small but real risk that any surgical proceedure entails doesn't seem worth it and may start a slippery slope where the "just one little" thing becomes an obsession with the "next" problem.

Not that you see it the same way, that's just why I never bothered with it.

[FuzzyKitten99]

After two kids and nursing them both for about 2-3 months, they have lost their 'perk', so I asked DH for a 30th birthday present: a new & improved pair of lungs.

My 30th isn't for 2.5 years, and by then, both boys will be in school FT, so I can go back to work FT, and we can afford to do it. I won't be telling anyone outside of here I am getting it done though. I don't want the negative-nellies to think their opinion is the only one that matters.

[Seshat]

Mine never had any perk: and in fact, the pain management specialist I saw said that if my pain was less general and more clearly bust-caused, he'd have recommended reduction surgery right off.

When my general health and my healing factor is improved, I'll be talking to the right specialists about a reduction. But for me, it's as much about improving my quality of life as about visuals. Probably more so.