Does not having braces as a child mean you come from a poor, low-income background?

Was I the one who wrote that? Sorry, that was thoughtless of me. Everyone in my family naturally has beautifully straight teeth, so none of us ever needed orthodontic treatment. Still, I do think parents should have had their child’s crooked teeth corrected. It didn’t necessarily have to be during childhood, but if my own child had crooked teeth, I would pay for treatment. Someone compared it to cosmetic surgery, but I think they’re completely different things. When a wealthy man doesn’t have nice teeth, I can’t help thinking he’s spending his money in the wrong places. Marika P.S. I’m not sure what people mean by being “raised as a young lady,” but I’d say I grew up in an ordinary middle-class family. I took calligraphy and piano lessons, went to a private girls’ school from junior high, and attended a fairly expensive private university. That said, I do feel that people as a whole may have been more financially comfortable in the past than they are now. One more thing after rereading the question: orthodontic treatment isn’t something everyone gets, right? It’s for people with dental alignment problems, so it’s only natural that fewer than half of people had it done. Were everyone’s teeth really that crooked? And I do think parents who can afford it but don’t have their children’s teeth straightened simply lack awareness.

I’m Dai, a male member. As you said, not having braces as a child doesn’t necessarily mean someone was poor or couldn’t afford them. My teeth aren’t perfectly straight either. Anyway, my answer isn’t the definitive one—it’s just one way of looking at things. It may frustrate you, but I believe being an adult means being able to accept different perspectives and think, “I see—some people do think that way.”

I’m Kazu, a male member. Since some of the other respondents went on to mention poverty, I assume that’s why you interpreted it that way. However, I don’t think either of them actually said that “not having orthodontic treatment as a child means someone came from a poor, low-income family.” Just because a man currently earns enough to engage in compensated dating doesn’t necessarily mean he grew up in a wealthy family, either. Also, having an income and choosing whether to pay for orthodontic treatment for one’s child are separate issues—it ultimately depends on the parents’ values. I agree with what I think you were trying to point out. The responses may not have been worded particularly tactfully, but since neither of them actually went that far, I feel your interpretation is also somewhat exaggerated.