A smile can make anyone’s day appear brighter. People smile when they are happy, when they greet a friend, when they show respect and courtesy to other people. A good, natural-looking smile makes you look confident, relaxed, professional and happy.
Nearly one-third of Americans say that a smile is the first thing they notice when meeting someone. So when you want to make an excellent first impression, either in professional or social interactions, an investment in straightening your teeth is well worth it.
A nice smile will boost one’s self-esteem. Self-esteem is strongly related to personal appearance and one of the most critical features of appearance is having a nice smile. Confidence in your smile can give you a higher self-worth and increase your self-confidence. If you are not confident in your smile and you hide it or have trained yourself not to smile, your lack of smile-esteem could be damaging your image. Think about it, when someone smiles at you, doesn’t it put you at ease and make you feel good? Aren’t you more likely to smile back at them? This certainly sets the stage for a more pleasant interaction than not smiling or placing an embarrassed hand over the mouth.
Research by Invisalign, the leading manufacturer of clear removable aligners, has found that over 27% of people say that seeing somebody else smile is one of the top things that evoke a natural smile in them.
A nice smile is more attractive. So simple but so true! You only need to glance at the magazines in the check-out line at the grocery store to see that the covers and pages are predominated with gorgeous smiles; and we are not just talking fashion magazines here!
Another study found that people with straight teeth are 57% more likely to get a date AND that almost 40% of people would not go on a second date with someone who has crooked teeth.
A nice smile can play a big role in one’s professional success. A study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin demonstrates how a nice smile can be a distinct advantage in advancing your career. In this study people were given a list of qualifications and the person with the smiling photo was 45% more likely to be chosen than the non-smiling photo. This same study shows that people who smile in their photos were described as more conscientious, confident and stable than those in a non-smiling photo. Those are pretty ideal qualities you would want to project in an interview, whether for your career or college.
Another study of nearly 200 employers conducted by researchers at the University of Sydney found that physical appearance is more important than previous job experience.
A Career Builder survey of more than 2,500 hiring managers were asked to list interview behaviors that most impaired a candidate’s chances for being hired. They discovered that 38% were turned off by lack of a smile.
Another study showed that people with straight teeth were 58% more likely to be perceived as being successful. A similar study showed that people with a good smile were thought to make almost $17,000 more a year than those without a good smile and that a nice smile also doubles the perception of private schooling or a university education.
People who smile are 45% more likely to get a job.
It’s easier than you might think to improve your smile. Orthodontic treatment is often much faster and easier than it has been in the past. Some issues can be resolved in as few as 4 to 6 months. Often limited treatment rather than full braces is required, which can save time and money. There also are advances in technology that allow us to improve your smile with clear aligners such as Invisalign or braces that are made of clear ceramic so that they are much less noticeable. Investing a portion of your time and money in obtaining a gorgeous smile seems like a small price to pay for all of the advantages that a great smile can offer. Tanner & Reichhold Orthodontics offers all the latest in orthodontic treatments including Invisalign, Invisalign Teen, In-Ovation clear ceramic braces as well as traditional In-Ovation silver metal braces. Start improving your smile and your quality of life today!
By Dr. Gary Reichhold
