I graduated from dental school in 1976. At that time, the job of a dentist was to correct and eliminate dental problems to help patients chew better and more comfortably. We didn’t worry much about appearance or a person’s smile because the materials and techniques we had, short of braces, weren’t advanced enough to make remarkable improvements.
A few years out of school I caught myself looking at teeth when people spoke, instead of other parts of the face.I began asking my patients if they did the same thing, and yes, we all were looking at teeth. That’s when I began to appreciate how big a role our teeth play in our appearance and how others see us. Many of my patients expressed the similar thoughts.
Fortunately, dentistry now has a vast array of methods to help patients have the best smile possible.
How Can a Dentist Help Improve My Smile?
Dentists today have a variety of tools and procedures they can utilize to help improve your smile. The first part of the process is to define your goals and ultimately how you want your smile to look.
Your dentist can then help decide upon the right tools to accomplish these goals. The quickest and least expensive improvement could simply be whitening your teeth to make your smile brighter and more appealing.
Sometimes, the right fix is having the teeth reshaped or modified with beautiful porcelain coverings. Straightening your teeth and bite corrections are also possibilities. But in any case, improving our smiles can be very rewarding, even life changing.
Why Should I Consider Cosmetic Dental Care?
Regardless of the reason or occasion, there is plenty of research to support why we should care about making a good first impression. During a study conducted by Kelton Research, people were asked to judge smiling faces with different teeth problems.
Overwhelmingly, people with nice looking and whiter teeth were judged more positively by appearing happier, more socially attuned, and predictably more successful. A few of the findings from Kelton’s study, and from a separate study in England include:
About 30% said a person’s teeth were the first section of the face they noticed. Individuals with pleasantly aligned teeth were 45% more likely to be hired over those with equal skills and experience but less attractive teeth. People with nice teeth are believed to be healthier and more intelligent. About 75% believe people with nice smiles are more trustworthy. 94% between 18 and 50 years of age are likely to notice a person’s smile the first time they meet.71% thought that people with nice smiles make friends easier.
With all this good news, it is easy to see the positive influence having a great smile can have on our self-esteem, social life, work life, and in maintaining a positive attitude. In fact, it is one of the most important first steps in forging new, positive, and long lasting relationships of all kinds.
Talk to Your Dentist about How he can Help You!
Today’s dentists can help people in new ways not possible in the past. We now know the mouth is not only the gateway to health for our entire body, but also plays a key role in other aspects of our lives.
As you begin the quest of improving your smile, look to our website for guidance in how to find a dentist you can trust with the necessary knowledge and skills to provide the smile you are looking for. Then, look forward to having a beautiful and healthy smile that can boost confidence and open doors we never knew existed. That is a lot to smile about.