The Mock Turtle

Also; if/when people point stuff out like that to me, I always agree just to be polite ish when, really, I can't see what they're talking about.

I guess so, like when you see someone has a spot but only because they've gone: "LOOK! LOOK AT MY SPOT!"

I am feeling a bit guilty about having my mole removed. I know I've had it done for totally the wrong reasons and it's not really a big deal, but it has made me feel a bit odd. I've never had proper physical surgery for a non-medical reason before. I was thinking "What else can I get done? What else?"

I think getting a mole removed would count as reasonably proportionate; on its own. But its almost entirely risk-free, quick, easy etc. And it isn't just one part of a list of things that I'll fix whatever it takes. I think that might be the difference. Certainly very different to jaw surgery or destroying your teeth, they seem more disproportionate.

Even I think the amount of work involved is disproportionate and I got the feeling the orthodontist agreed although she wouldn't try to convince me either way.

I need to accept that things are not perfect. The mole being removed reminded me of that Nathaniel Hawthorne story, The Birthmark, and how by trying to improve myself I can actually wind up rubbing myself out. I will get my teeth whitened but that's it.

I'm actually going to buy a handbag with the first payment I would have put down on my teeth. I think my grandparents would approve of that a lot more.

A lot of the posts on here have resonated particularly about not being perfect. So, thank you all for your replies. They have helped enormously.

You're doing brilliantly, Lily, I wish I had the same bravery to actually re-look at my habits/behaviour sometimes. The easiest thing in the world is to just go along with them when they make you feel good in the short term!

Thank you! I don't think it's brave so much as figuring out what does and doesn't make you happy, and being able to spot patterns.

This is the last thing on anyone's mind now, but I've been watching back a few videos of me speaking and I can't see anything wrong with my teeth at all. So, no veneers, no braces - I'll get them whitened, but that's it.

Weird how these things work out.

Thank you all for your patience with me.

Hurrah! You are beautiful Lily Louise Turtle, I'm glad you're feeling better about your teeth.

Brilliant! You have perfectly lovely natural teeth.

Good lass.

Well done Lily

Hurrah .

Thank you for the update Lils. I’m glad you can see what we do

Really pleased to read this.

Oh! Now, I'm not sure how I missed this but this is wonderful news!

I'm really pleased to read this, Lily.

So - don't hate me for this, but over the last 8 months my thoughts about my 'fang' never went away and I found that in photos I started smiling only one side of my mouth like I'd had a stroke. I couldn't stop thinking about & obsessing about my fang. So on Thursday I had a veneer. It was on a tooth that had been root-canalled and I honestly think it's got worse as I got older. It was so far back that it made a 'fang' of my other tooth.

I was a bit scared to tell you all. It's so subtle you probably won't notice the difference - I know a lot of people IRL won't - but to me it is huge. The dentist purposely didn't make it 'perfect' as she thought I would then feel I ought to have my other wonky one done as well.

Anyway. I'm really, REALLY happy. My teeth don't look doctored, but just the slight veneer has meant the other one stops looking like a fang. It also wound up costing half what I thought it was, which was a very nice surprise. When they showed me I smiled so much my cheeks hurt and I jumped up and down.

Before: Last photo with fang After:

Looks great Lily! Very natural.

Thank you - I know you all said not to do it and I really had decided not to, but I kept thinking about it and and there were so many nice photos of me which were ruined (in my eyes) by The Fang. The dentist didn't do anything to my tooth apart from rough it up a bit so the composite would stick, so in all in all I felt much happier with it. I'm also pleased that I don't want perfection, and am totally happy with my mouth as it is now, even if it's not perfect.

A good dentist will make dentures/ prosthetic teeth imperfect because nature isn't perfect. Your teeth look great and it does look better than before but before wasn't bad.

I'm glad you're pleased.