• Dork World
    • Nikki’s Diary
    • Ask Nikki
    • Ask Brandon
    • Academy
    • What’s New
    • Meet the Author
    • Dork Diaries Books
    • For Teachers
  • Dorky Stuff
    • I Heart Writing
    • Videos
    • Fan Art
    • Games
    • Meet the characters
    • Fan stories
    • Calendars
    • Wallpapers
    • Party Kits
    • music
    • Dorks Around the World
Author:
Rachel Renée Russell

dd14-menu-booktitle

Dork Diaries Book 14

Dork Diaries

#1 New York Times Bestselling Series

 

Ask Brandon



Get the BOY side of things!
Dollarless Dork
Salon Brianna

June 2, 2019

MISS BRACE FACE

Hi Brandon,

I just got braces a few days ago 🙁 ! Now the kids in my class stare at me and say, “OMG! You got braces?!”

I feel really insecure and don’t smile as much as I used to. What should I do?

Miss Brace Face

Hi Miss Brace Face,

It sounds like you have some pretty immature classmates. And really, braces aren’t OMG-worthy.

It’s not like you have an extra big toe growing out of your left ear. Tons of kids get braces! Almost everyone with a nice smile had them at some point.

Still, I understand why you feel insecure. I’m sure it’s tough enough to get used to the braces without dealing with their taunts and stares.

My cousin said it feels like a tiny metal seat belt smothering your smile. But he also said you get used to it, and it doesn’t feel like that forever.

The good news is that the teasing doesn’t last forever either!

People only stare and say dumb things when something is new or different, and after a little while, your braces won’t be either.

They’ll be normal, a part of your face – kind of like your nose, except they won’t have the ability to smell (but they will smell if you slack on brushing).

I know this probably doesn’t help you feel better right now, but maybe these two suggestions will.

1. Google “smile after braces” and look at all the images that come up. Odds are, you’ll see a ton of happy people with beautiful, perfectly straight teeth. When you start feeling insecure, remember that will be you in two or three years.

When people stare then, it will be because they’re jealous!

2. Get in on the joke.

You’re afraid to smile because you’re getting caught up in your head, worrying about what you look like and what people are thinking about you.

But the thing is, they’re not really making fun of you. They’re poking fun at the braces, which happen to be on your teeth (and millions of other teeth throughout the world).

Instead of feeling scared to smile, show them you’re not afraid to laugh at yourself.

You could say, “Man, these are tight. Guess I’m braced for anything now!”

Or, you could deliberately get food stuck in your braces in a totally obvious way, and then ask them, “Do I have food stuck in my teeth?” Then crack up with them.

Hopefully, this will help you remember that people appreciate you no matter what your smile looks like, and they appreciate when you don’t take yourself too seriously, since that’s when you’re able to make them smile.

I hope this helps!

Category: Ask Brandon Tags: self-esteemDeena Warner

Comment Guidelines

I’m happy to post your comments (as soon as I can) as long as you follow these 7 rules:

  • All comments MUST be on topic!
  • Comments that either request advice or offer advice will NOT be posted if they are OFF-TOPIC.
  • NO bullying or mean behavior!
  • NO bad language!
  • NEVER share your personal info, including your age!
  • Do NOT share links to other websites or blogs.
  • Make-Up a Silly Name or Post Without a Name (NEVER use your real name!)

Comments

  1. ShyGirlfriend15 says

    June 14, 2019 at 10:10 am

    Hey, I have braces right now. There’s not a problem with it. The only thing is that my friends noticed it when I was about to have my next appointment on tightening my braces once more. That was about my first month wearing them. You’ll get used to ‘em like Brandon said.

  2. Ilovecupcakes says

    June 14, 2019 at 9:51 am

    My friend and I had braces. We were teased because of them. Once we got our braces off, our teeth were pretty much perfect and everyone still wishes to have our teeth.

  3. LuckyPen says

    June 14, 2019 at 8:13 am

    I’M getting braces, I’m sure, in a few weeks you’ll get used to it! 🙂

  4. Poopyface little Duck says

    June 12, 2019 at 9:58 pm

    You got this! I already have my braces. And I’m pretty young. Don’t focus on other people. Ignore them. BTW by young I mean 1 something years old.( that’s there so you don’t know how old I am.

  5. Puppy dog paled says

    June 12, 2019 at 11:58 am

    BE you self don’t let people get together you people who care about you is a true friend and people who don’t care about you aren’t you ture friend
    I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR DAY

  6. I love puppies says

    June 12, 2019 at 10:01 am

    Your look love you self for who you are and telling a a grown up helps telling mom or dad will BIG helping for you I hope you love puppies

  7. Dorkypeanutbutterlover says

    June 12, 2019 at 12:19 am

    Your not alone! My brother had braces, I have braces and my friend has them too. So when people feel like getting smart with us, we just ignore them. Who knows, one day they might have braces too!

  8. Junebug says

    June 11, 2019 at 6:17 pm

    I HAVE braces. Trust me, they suck. 🙁 But there are about fifty kajillion other kids at my school with braces, so 🙂 We can all gripe about ’em together.

    • Mermaid A.K.A. Marmalade says

      June 14, 2019 at 8:02 am

      For some reason at my school no one has braces

  9. Anonymous says

    June 11, 2019 at 3:20 pm

    U got braces. Big deal get over it

    • Dork Obsessed says

      June 14, 2019 at 3:31 pm

      For some people it does seem like a big deal, for other it don’t. You have to respect them.

  10. Artistic Diva says

    June 11, 2019 at 1:24 pm

    Is it just me, or I think that it’s a coincidence that Chloe has braces, Marcy has braces, my friend is getting braces, my cousin is getting braces, someone in my favorite TV show got braces, my nephew is getting braces, and my twin brother is getting braces???

  11. Horselover567 says

    June 11, 2019 at 11:23 am

    Hey,
    I’m sure you are really upset but that’s OK! My sister had braces a couple of years ago and now she has perfectly straight teeth! Just remember that they are probably saying that coz they are jealous that you will have perfectly straight teeth!!

  12. Advice Giver 101 says

    June 10, 2019 at 1:33 pm

    Just ignore your classmates. One day THEY might be writing a letter about how they are insecure about their braces

  13. Mikki says

    June 10, 2019 at 12:05 pm

    Be like…you know “i dont care “ and belive that someday when the person get braces they will feel like the other having braces.

« Older Comments
Top ▲
Ask Brandon a question

Get the boy side of things!

Hey, guys! Having trouble talking to the girl you like? And girls, do you ever wonder what boys are really thinking? I’ve got you covered! I’m here to give you honest advice from a dude’s point-of-view. Understanding the opposite gender doesn’t have to be as hard as Honors Calculous. As a guy, I’ve learned a thing or two about girls just by hanging out with my friend, Nikki. So, go ahead! Tell me what’s on your mind! I’ll answer a question each week and post one of the cool pics I’ve personally taken of the kids at my school.

Search

Brandon's Advice

Ask Brandon a question

    Ask Nikki Maxwell a question

    Freaking out about a problem?

    Nikki Maxwell's diary

    Read Nikki's latest adventure

    Recent Comments

    • Lefty Dork on I NEED TO MAKE SOME MONEY!
    • Lefty Dork on I NEED TO MAKE SOME MONEY!
    • Chole on NEW: PUZZLEPALOOZA!!
    • iPhone wanter on I NEED TO MAKE SOME MONEY!
    • Anonymous on I NEED TO MAKE SOME MONEY!

    WEBSITE MAP

    • What’s New
    • Nikki’s Diary
    • My Books
    • Ask Nikki
    • Meet the Author
    • Ask Brandon
    • Merchandise
    • Videos
    • Fan Art
    • Academy

    BUY THE BOOKS

    • Amazon
    • Powell’s
    • Barnes & Noble
    • Simon & Schuster
    • Books-A-Million
    • Target
    • IndieBound
    • Wal-mart

    DORK DIARIES INTERNATIONAL SITES

  • Brazil
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Portugal
  • Bulgaria
  • Greece
  • Korea
  • Romania
  • Czech
  • Holland
  • Latvia
  • Taiwan
  • Estonia
  • Hungary
  • Lithuania
  • Turkey
  • France
  • Israel
  • Norway
  • UK
  • Top ▲ · Copyright © 2021 Rachel Renée Russell · The Dork Diaries Series is written by Rachel Renée Russell and published by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing · Privacy Policy · Terms and Conditions