I was a sad kid with a sad smile.
When I was growing up, I rarely broke into a grin or erupted into a giggle.
I did have things to laugh about, but I was laser-focused on hiding what was inside my mouth.
Photographed by:Olivia Malone;Stylist:Amy Mach;Hair:Tsuki;Makeup:Allie Smith;Nails:Honey;Production:Noted;Models:Faith at APM and Symone at Cochrane
Lateral incisors were hidden underneath fast-moving canines, which were simultaneously being pushed out due to emerging wisdom teeth.
And that was just the top row.
In a nutshell: My teeth were crooked, with cavities riddled in between.
Photographed by:Olivia Malone;Stylist:Amy Mach;Hair:Tsuki;Makeup:Allie Smith;Nails:Honey;Production:Noted;Models:Symone at Cochrane
Orthodontics, let alone basic dental care, was not a priority or a possibility.
“I yearned for the shiny metal rows of braces my classmates wore.”
I was ashamed of those chaotic teeth that betrayed my lower-class status as soon as I parted my lips.
Photographed by:Olivia Malone;Stylist:Amy Mach;Hair:Tsuki;Makeup:Allie Smith;Nails:Honey;Production:Noted;Models:Symone at Cochrane
I yearned for the shiny metal rows of braces my classmates wore.
“Having a ‘nice smile’ is often unattainable unless you have money.”
Whether that acceptance came from myself or my peers is still up for debate.
Photographed by:Olivia Malone;Stylist:Amy Mach;Hair:Tsuki;Makeup:Allie Smith;Nails:Honey;Production:Noted;Models:Faith at APM
What’s not, though, is how I feel about myself and my smile now.
It just didn’t feel like an option.
“Healthy teeth far outweigh the benefit of beautiful teeth.
Photographed by:Olivia Malone;Stylist:Amy Mach;Hair:Tsuki;Makeup:Allie Smith;Nails:Honey;Production:Noted;Models:Faith at APM
“Healthy teeth far outweigh the benefit of beautiful teeth.
Always,” saysMarc Lowenberg, a New York City-based cosmetic dentist.
And a smile’s health cannot generally be measured by its whiteness and straightness.
A few years ago,Symone Lulost her left front tooth in an accident.
It was then that her dentist discovered a hairline fracture in her jaw.
so that let the bone fully heal, surgery (and a replacement tooth) were put on pause.
“I remember being extremely insecure,” she says.
“I didn’t smile for a couple [of] years.
I was so upset.”
But then, after moving to New York City for college, something shifted.
“I decided to say, screw what everybody else thinks.”
For Faith, it was her two permanent canine teeth.
But that wasn’t her.
“When I don’t wear [my retainer], I’m more outgoing.
I’m more confident in myself.”
“I just like to smile really big and confirm people see my teeth,” she says.
“This is unique.
And I can help people feel inspired and confident in themselves.”
All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors.
However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
