Short Teeth

News Flash: I'm self-conscious about my appearance. Overall, I feel pretty good about myself, but like most people, there are certain things about myself that really bug me. In high school, I didn't have very nice skin. No surprises there, since this is pretty common, I know. But the embarrassment of having poor skin doesn't go away once your skin clears up. As a grown woman, I want a flat belly. Equally shocking, I know, since it is likely that 99% of women would like a flatter belly. And thought these are areas I'll probably always be self-conscious about, I've gotten comfortable with my discomfort in these two areas. And I've grown to [mostly] like the way I look.

A few weeks ago, however, I added another annoyance to the list: short teeth.

I've had dental work my entire life. In my teens, I had too many teeth in my somewhat small mouth, so I had 4 removed and wore braces to straighten the rest out. In my early twenties, my wisdom teeth were severely impacted, so they were all removed. Last year, I had a root canal on one of my two front teeth, after learning that the nerve inside my tooth had died and begun darkening it. I brush and floss religiously. So after obtaining a near perfect smile, I decided that I wanted whiter teeth.

For my birthday this past year, I got little trays made by my dentist and started whitening. He even made me a special tray for the darker front tooth, which could be whitened all on its own. The improvement in my smile was addictive. I now wanted my teeth so white, they'd glow in the dark. Or something like that.

Last month, I went in for my yearly checkup. My dentist was pleased with the success of my whitening. We discussed a reasonable whitening schedule, to make sure I didn't overdo it. After some chit chat, my dentist stepped back and said, "Smile for me." I smiled proudly and waited for more praise.

Instead, he said, "You know what bugs me now?"

I stopped smiling.

"The gum line. You know, we could do a little gum contouring to lengthen your teeth a bit."

Jesus. I had no idea I'd been walking around with short teeth this whole time! Actually, I think I did figure it out recently, but dismissed the critique of my smile and chalked it up to neurosis. I remember looking at a picture of myself and thinking, "Why do my teeth look so small?" And then I giggled to myself and thought, "That's ridiculous. My teeth are perfectly big enough!"

But I'd been wrong. I have short teeth, and my dentist wants to lengthen them. Guess what I'm examining on a daily basis now? My tiny, tiny teeth.

My dentist and I politely discussed my [very costly] options and I left his office, knowing I wouldn't be doing any freakin' gum contouring. I mean, I know I'm vain, but I'm not that vain...right?