Learning to smile?

December 17, 2014 2:42 PM

I got my front teeth fixed a year ago. 34 combined years of teeth not growing in, braces, terrible falling bridges, and bad dentists had taken their toll before I managed to find a dentist who could do a good job. I do smile and did smile before but it was often self-counscious; nice kid, shame about the teeth.

I know I missed out on a lot of experiences for fear of my teeth falling out or my own sense of embarassment. I feel really happy having great new teeth that let me bite into a crispy apple but want to really accept this is a permanent change so I can progress. How in any way can I approach this?

posted by parmanparman to Health & Fitness (8 answers total)

I learned to smile when I was a whitewater guide. There was this one spot where the photographers stood where the boat came over a ledge pointed down at the camera, and 6-8 pictures a day showing up back at the outpost was a perfect display that I looked a hell of a lot better when my smile had teeth showing.

So: Lots of pictures?
posted by straw at 2:45 PM on December 17, 2014 [3 favorites]

Spend time making funny faces at yourself in front of the mirror. Take lots of dumb selfies.

Make a little ritual of mouth care including flossing every day. Take pride in the work you're putting into your smile!
posted by phunniemee at 2:47 PM on December 17, 2014 [4 favorites]

Try smiling at strangers on meeting, e.g. bus drivers and waitresses and waiters. It is very entertaining to see what happens to their faces when they smile back, which they almost always will. And it is good practice for you.

Also, go out with a friend to a comedy show. It is impossible to laugh without showing teeth in my experience.

Also, besides making funny faces at yourself, smile at yourself when alone in front of a mirror. It'll reassure you that you look fine.
posted by bearwife at 2:56 PM on December 17, 2014

I'm going to second all of these! Especially mirror/selfies, because part of your self-education is just learning how you look when casting different smiles from different angles. Self-perception will change as you get experience seeing yourself.

And speaking as someone who grew up loving my smile, but ended up with terrible emergency dental work that I haven't been able to afford to replace for the last 14 years, I totally hear you! The thought of biting into an apple (or a toasted sandwich!) without first cutting it into pieces with a knife is something I've longed to do for more than a decade. The "temporary" bridge I have is metallic and that metal shows through some of my front teeth, so... one of these days I'll figure out how to pay for an upgrade.

Congratulations!
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 4:30 PM on December 17, 2014

Practice mindfully, a lot.

For me, being conscious about allowing and even encouraging myself to smile helped it to become a natural thing. I silently reminded myself that my teeth looked typical now, and there was no reason to feel embarrassed anymore. I purposefully let my anxieties go, each time. I purposefully rejoiced when I smiled. If my hand had come up to cover my mouth, I took it down. With practice, I was able to catch myself before it came up. After a while, I didn't have to think about the fact that I was smiling or laughing. The emotional hooks were gone.

I don't remember how long it took me to get to that point.
posted by moira at 7:19 PM on December 17, 2014 [1 favorite]

Practice laughing. It causes a natural smile.
posted by harrietthespy at 8:22 PM on December 17, 2014

Try setting up two mirrors so that you're not looking yourself in the eyes?

Also, smile with the eyes as much as with the mouth.
posted by sebastienbailard at 12:31 AM on December 18, 2014

don't try too hard; just grin.
posted by at at 11:51 PM on December 18, 2014