Now, before I get bombarded with the whole, "looks don't matter" please hear me out.

I have had gap teeth for my entire life, and it's seriously hindered my social skills. 80% of the time I try talking to someone, they always glance at my teeth when I speak and it makes me very uncomfortable. I feel like they're not even paying attention to what I'm saying and it makes me feel like I'm talking to a fucking wall. It sucks because I'm a very outgoing person and I love making people laugh and have a good time. I'm also not bad looking, pretty tall, and have an athletic build. My teeth aren't super crooked or anything, I just have a pretty big gap between my two front teeth.

"Just get braces"

I have no dental insurance, and could not afford to pay out of the pocket for them for a LONG time (Braces cost around $3k-$5k around here). I am at a transitional part of my life where money is not something I have a lot of.

I guess what I'm looking for is a method of coping with it. Some day I will get braces, that's a guarantee. But until then, is there anything I can tell myself to get over the negativity I put on my self? Any ladies out there have an opinion on gap teeth?