So wedding dress shopping was not the disaster I had feared it would be yesterday.  The place I went was far better than the first shop.  I even found four dresses I really liked, and put two on hold so that my Mom can see them when she gets to town next week.

It’s hard though–being in a big ol’ dressing room, with a big ol’ mirror and standing there in a bustier (the first time I’d ever worn one and I am not impressed, though I do understand now why women used to pass out in similar contraptions) and slip.  All of a sudden, every single flaw seems like it has a big neon arrow going “look!  Look at this scar on your leg!  And look! Look at this friz on the top of your head!  Look! Look at your GIANT BUTT!”  Even when I smiled I thought “ew, are those really my teeth?”

The thing is, there are all sorts of things that I want to fix and things that I could fix if I took the time to worry about them on a day to day basis.  I *could* start wearing makeup to cover up the blotchiness of my skin and the dark shadows under my eyes that are there even when I’m not tired.  I could go lay out by the pool (slathered in sunscreen of course) and try to even out my skin tone and lessen the chances that I will have a farmer tan at my wedding.  I could go to a proper stylist and use higher end products on my hair instead of buying the cheapest shampoo and conditioner and going to Great Clips (though, honestly, I haven’t had a haircut since 2007, no lie).

The one thing I would absolutely change, if I had the disposable income, would be my teeth.  While I am kind of opposed to cosmetic surgery in a vague way, I am absolutely in favor of cosmetic dentistry.  No joke.  Look, I’ll freely admit that until I hit my late teens I was more than lax in the dental hygiene department.  I HATED brushing my teeth (no, I do not know why, but seriously? I hated it).  I would give them a quick swipe and call it good.  So, you know, I’ve had more than a normal person’s fair share of cavities.  Most of my teeth have fillings in them.  On top of this, I had braces TWICE, which made them very weak and even more susceptible to damage.

Once I hit my twenties and realized that “oh crap, I totally can’t afford a dentist anymore, I need to work to keep these choppers healthy or I’m screwed” I went to town.  I use two different types of extra healthy care toothpaste–one for daytime, one for nighttime, both whitening.  I have a special “extra clean” toothpaste that I use the recommended once a week.  I have a waterpik.  I have Listerine and Act.  Really, sometimes I feel like I’m overdoing it.  And yet–there are still spots on my teeth and spaces where, because of the damage done by years of poor habits and orthodontic glue, dirt and other buildups are happening and I can’t do anything about them.  Frankly, it’s embarrassing.

I know that fixing my teeth completely is going to cost a zillion dollars and I know that I should start saving now but sometimes, sometimes I think, why not just get them fixed cosmetically?  Why not just get dental veneers?  Would it be so bad?  Wouldn’t it be nice to smile big and not immediately think “oh shoot I don’t want them to see my crappy teeth!”

I know that cosmetic fixes like veneers won’t totally fix the problems, but it would be nice to smile and know that my smile is nice and white and free of ickiness.  I would like to see a photo of my smiling face and not immediately zone in on the problems. I would like to smile and not worry that the person sitting opposite me is thinking “ew, what is WRONG with her teeth?”  My friends insist that they don’t even notice the problems until I point the problems out to them.  But you know, they’re my friends.  They have to say that.

What about you?  If you had the money would you go the cosmetic dentistry route?