noordinaryspider<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2025/apr/23/gap-in-teeth-should-i-fix" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">theguardian.com/global/2025/ap</span><span class="invisible">r/23/gap-in-teeth-should-i-fix</span></a></p><p>Masking solves the whole issue for me. If I go barefaced, the fascist classist ageist tooth shamers have a field day.</p><p>It was sociologically interesting but psychologically devastating to go from naturally occurring "country club" teeth to pain that was worse than unmedicated childbirth to routinely being insulted, infantalized, and assumed to be one of the People Who Do Not Sleep.</p><p>Fortunately I was warned that the reverse experience, spending more money than it would cost to buy a house, hours in pain in the dentists' chair, etc. to "buy some teeth" is much worse.</p><p>Riding out the pain, avoiding triggers that could cause you to lash out, and learning to use affordable dental scalers to remove plaque and tarter yourself is something to be proud of.</p><p>Tooth shaming is disgusting and in no way morally different than fat shaming or any other form of body shaming/poor shaming.</p><p>I want no part of that and will not be purchasing or wearing fake plastic teeth. </p><p>I love the affordability and creative potential of facemasks. They don't take a lot of time or expensive materials to sew and can express your personality far more than makeup ever could. </p><p>They can actually hold surgical masks on much tighter, as well as more comfortably, if you're out of N95s. Can't hurt, might help, and we need to normalize facial coverings to bring some of these amazing folks from the disability community safely back into our public spaces.</p><p>I'm not going to apologize for boosting mutual aid posts for disabled folks' rent as the first of the month approaches. Fuck landlords, but the coolest people online always turn out to be housebound, differently abled, and using words and imaginations to do what their bodies can't do afk.</p><p>I'm not throwing my disabled friends under the bus.</p><p>Masking at the grocery store is a win-win for "fixing" missing or crooked teeth.</p><p><a href="https://ni.hil.ist/tags/stillmasking" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>stillmasking</span></a></p>