What is the first thing that people notice when you meet them for the first time? It’s your smile! And the reason is twofold. First, the undeniable fact that those who look at you would prefer to see a smiling face. And second, your smile has a positive effect on yourself and others around you.
Here are Some Quick Statistics About Smiling and First Impressions
• Nearly 30% of Americans regard teeth as a facial feature that is first noticed (after the eyes, perhaps) when you meet someone.
• People having straight teeth are considered more fashionable, friendlier, trustworthy, happier, healthier, and have better confidence than people with crooked teeth.
• 38% of those surveyed would not be keen on a second date with a person who has misaligned teeth.
• People who possess straight teeth are 58% more likely to be professionally successful compared with those having similar qualifications but not the smile.
• It is a general belief that individuals having a better smile are more likely to land a job and likely to earn a higher salary.
Human Responses
People say smiles are contagious, and indeed, they are. Your smile affects those who look at you. When one sees your smile, they often feel pleased and record a better image of you. Smiles can cause everybody around you to smile and their reward systems get triggered into action. According to a survey arranged by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, 57% of those polled said that a smile (even) from a stranger made them want to smile themselves; and that this improved their day.
It is absolutely natural that if you are able to make a person smile and feel better, he or she will get a good impression of you. On the other hand, a sour face tends to put people off and turns them away from you.
Your smiling affects your health in a positive light too. As many as 88% of people were reported saying that the act of smiling makes them feel better and also improves their mood. One certainly performs better when in a good mood. With better performance, you make better impressions.
Your Smile is a Message
When you are smiling, you are radiating happiness. You are telling those around you that you feel positive towards them. Greeting messages come after the visual message. By smiling, you are also showing your confidence and ease. That message goes home, and the person assessing you records a good impression of you. And of course, a first impression tends to last.
The Key to Landing a Job
Your smile is a factor in your chances of success in a job interview. A smiling face gives an excellent first impression and becomes a multiplying factor on your professional suitability and experience. The reward systems of the interviewers are triggered by your smile. All your subsequent performance during the interview is subconsciously interpreted by the interviewers in a better light. The employers are also humans, and they are affected by a good smile positively.
On the First Date
A first date is an essential event in your life. And the first impression is necessary to that date. One of the first things the other person notes about you is your teeth and face. Your smile sends a message of friendship and love and triggers your reward system as well as that of the other person. It is most likely that the other person would like to carry on.
At Social Events
The majority of Americans admit that the first thing they note about a person is their smile. A smile from you sends across a message of comfort and good feelings and makes those around you smile. The reward systems in their brains are triggered, and this results in mutually shared pleasure.
What Constitutes a Beautiful Smile?
An attractive and charming smile comprises of several attributes:
• Tooth Color – no one likes crooked or stained teeth. Coffee, tea, or tobacco stains can negatively affect your smile and facial esthetics. Also, people who have white, stainless teeth feel more confident in smiling than those who have stained teeth.
• Tooth Length – longer teeth tend to give a youthful appearance. On the other hand, short, worn teeth, or teeth having a gummy smile can make you look older. Your cosmetic dentist can make your teeth look longer by using tooth-colored fillings, veneers, or crowns. For the treatment of a gummy smile, your dentist will surgically modify the gum line to make your teeth look longer.
• Tooth Shape – the shape of your teeth must be similar to your facial profile, in order for you to enjoy a perfect smile.
• Smile Line – a smile line is an imaginary line that is drawn from the edges of the teeth from one side to the other. Ideally, the smile line should follow the same contour as that of the lower lip.
• Tooth Proportions –if there is a harmony between the size and proportion of your teeth, gums, and other dental structures, this improves the appearance of your smile
Do You Possess an Excellent Smile?
If you feel you do not possess a good smile, please don’t worry. First of all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Also, modern-day cosmetic dentistry can make a world of difference to your smile, making you more confident, socially accessible, and more effective at your job. Here are some of the treatment options that cosmetic dentistry offers to give you the smile of your dreams:
• Teeth Whitening – if you want to get rid of teeth stains, then professional teeth whitening by a dentist is the best option to get your smile back.
• Veneers – Veneers are thin shells of resins or porcelain that are used for masking cosmetic defects such as permanent teeth stains, tooth misalignment, and for the restoration of chipped or fractured teeth.
• Crowns – Dental crowns are tooth-colored, cap-shaped structures that are used for restoring esthetic and structural tooth defects. They are used for restoring grossly damaged or permanently stained teeth.
• Invisalign – Invisalign clear aligners are a convenient and aesthetic option for restoring tooth misalignment without the need for the unaesthetic metallic braces.
• Dental Implants – if you have lost one or more teeth, then dental implants are the most esthetic, reliable, and long-lasting option for replacing missing natural teeth.
So, are you ready to make an excellent first impression? Visit your cosmetic dentist today and start impressing your friends, colleagues, and loved ones with your brand-new smile.
