The teenage years can be very difficult, especially if there are things about your appearance that make you feel insecure. Spoiler alert: everyone has things about their appearance that makes them feel insecure. There are certain things that are more common than others, and some that have a greatest impact on people emotionally. If you’re someone who has a unique laugh, and people always comment on it, you can start to feel insecure about laughing. The same goes for your smile. If you have something about your teeth or smile that makes you feel insecure, you may find yourself trying not to smile as much. How sad is it that people feel like they have to hide their smiles and laughter?
First things first, you shouldn’t be ashamed to laugh, smile, or about any other physical traits you have. Obviously, that’s easier said than done.
Maintenance and Oral Care
As a teen, especially if you don’t have dental coverage, one of the best things you can do for your dental health is simply to take great care of your teeth until you’ve got a job that gives you coverage, or your parents have a job with benefits, or you’re working and can afford dental work. Dental health includes things like brushing, flossing, and getting regular cleanings at your dentist’s office.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry is a field of practice that includes a number of services to improve the appearance of one’s teeth and gums. There is a lot that they can do to help give you a smile that will match your happiness. Cosmetic dentistry can fix things like crooked teeth by straightening them, adding or removing materials from the mouth like adding veneers and crowns or gum grafting, teeth whitening with bleach or lasers, and a lot more. If your teeth are stained, then having your teeth whitened can make a big difference.
If fixing the issue isn’t really an option for you at the moment, that leaves you with another option, and frankly the number 1 on this list is something that everyone should already be working towards, regardless of whether or not they’re able to get cosmetic dentistry.
Acceptance
Accepting yourself for who you are can feel nearly impossible, especially if rude people are pointing out the things that they perceive as flaws in you. You can’t really control how other people react to you, but you have control over how you respond. It’s not always easy, in fact it can be pretty difficult. As you grow up and meet all sorts of different people, it can help to put things in perspective.
It might not seem like it now, but the people who bully and pick on others over things like their physical appearance are never happy with their own lives. Knowing they are miserable probably isn’t much of a consolation for you in the moment, but just know that in the long run you can address everything that makes you feel insecure, and you can grow from this experience and learn to treat others with kindness and empathy, and the people who would make you feel insecure are going to deal with their feelings of inadequacy for the rest of their lives.
What’s Next?
Getting cosmetic dentistry work done can help you feel more confident, but you’ll still need to find that from within yourself. Your self-confidence shouldn’t hinge on how your mouth looks, but it can still hurt your self-esteem. There’s a lot to work on! Control the things that you can control, and learn to accept the rest.
